


Daughters of Eden

by NightshadeDawn



Category: Haikyuu!!
Genre: Alternate Universe - Dystopia, Angst, Character Death, F/F, F/M, Genderbending, Genderswap, Hurt, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Lost Love, Slavery, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-11-02
Updated: 2018-03-18
Packaged: 2019-01-28 08:41:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 7
Words: 21,573
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12602692
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/NightshadeDawn/pseuds/NightshadeDawn
Summary: We all know the hero's story. How they're some repressed "nobody" who suddenly becomes a "somebody" by defying the rules. Well, this isn't about the heroes. Because there's so much more behind the scenes than you realize.Arc 1: The behind the scenes characters are gathers to the Daughters' den, all under some very unfortunate circumstances. And a quiet plan for revolution begins.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I must warn you, I'm just having a big of a difficult time with them all being girls. I'm hoping to get better as I go along, but we'll see when we get there! This is also for NaNoWriMo. Wish me luck!
> 
> Oh, and tell me what ships you'd like to see! Really, one of the things I'm doing with this is writing things I've never written before, so there's gonna be a lot of shipping in this! (A lot of people are going to die, but that's besides the point). So ship what you'd like, and tell me so I can write it, too!

        The air was thick and heavy with the smell of smoke and blood. There were screams in the air, though no one would ever be able to tell if the louder ones came from those in the tightly packed crowd- or those at the stake. 

        Too many- Too many children stood in the crowd as the officials pulled their parents to the posts. 

        Some turned away, or covered their siblings’ faces. Some could only watch in horror. 

        A young woman watched from the window of her house as night fell and the embers of the dead faded. Her younger sister fast asleep in the bed. She felt sick to her stomach, ready to throw away what little food she’d forced down to keep her sister smiling.

        Her parents had been taken at noon, and she could still see them in her mind’s eye as they were dragged to the posts. Her father’s face had been set like steel; he hadn’t allowed anyone to see his pain. Her mother had shed only a single tear, but had smiled and swallowed her screams as she was lit on fire. 

        She’d met her daughter’s eyes before the light left them-

        The girl -- for she was only sixteen, and without parents now, how could she be anything but?-- covered her mouth as she felt bile rise in her throat. 

        Various lights dimmed throughout the town. Those people didn’t care. It had been entertainment to them. They didn’t even know the victims’ crimes.

        “They weren’t criminals,” she spat, clenching her fists. 

        “Akiteru.”

        The quiet voice to have whispered was soft, but commanding. She stepped out of the shadows and joined Akiteru by the window, placing a hand on the younger girl’s shoulder. 

        “We’re all criminals,” she whispered. “We’re defying the law-”

        Tears were freely flowing from Akiteru’s eyes as she whirled around, an indescribable look of pain and fury etched into her features.

        “They didn’t deserve to die!” she shouted, only quiet enough to not wake her sister. “They didn’t deserve to die for what they did! Not for that, Ukai!”

        Ukai slapped a hand over Akiteru’s mouth, barely breathing for a few minutes in fear that someone had heard. Only when assured no one had did she remove her hand. 

        She sent a sharp glare at Akiteru. “What we’re planning, what is going on, is  _ terrorism _ ,” she seethed. “We’re  _ terrorists- _ ”

        “You dare defend them?” Akiteru questioned. “Even after  _ your own _ grandmother-”

        “Do not bring her into this,” Ukai threatened. “I am trying to make you understand: your parents knew what they were getting into. All of them did. Remember that my parents were up on that rostrum too! They knew treason like this would get them killed if they were ever found out, but they continued on anyway! The only thing we can do now is finish the work they began.”

        Akiteru tsked, turning away and crossing her arms over her chest. “As far as they’re concerned, the Daughters of Eden are dead,” she claimed, looking in the direction of the burning capitol. 

        If it wasn’t burning with the fires that had consumed her parents, they would be one day.

        Ukai clapped her on the shoulder. “Well then. We’ll just have to keep it that way, won’t we?” she asked. 

        With a determined look in her eyes, Akiteru nodded and allowed herself to be drawn back into the house while Ukai shut the curtains at the window. 

 

_ The moon is rising fast tonight, and soon yet it will be our time to strike. _


	2. I Was the Match, You Were the Rock

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It should have been happily ever after- but things never quite work out that way.

        If anything could be said for Tsukishima Kei, it was that one day she’d make a very beautiful bride. If she’d ever get past her mean streak, that is. 

        “Oh, you look beautiful,” Akiteru said almost breathlessly, waltzing into the room in her wedding gown. Kei stood next to the younger sister of the man Akiteru would be marrying: Tanaka Ryuusuke. 

        Both girls were dolled up in simple, though lovely, white-blue dresses, their hair done up in pretty curls. A few flowers were collected around the crowns of their heads; purple for Ryuu and blue for Kei. Both would have been extraordinarily beautiful- had it not been for the scowls aimed at the other. 

        Akiteru sighed, going over to Kei and brushing a stray curl out of her face. “Can you not be happy for me?” she asked. 

        Kei gave Akiteru a scowl, then looked away. “Of course I am,” she snapped. She glowered at Ryuu. “I’m just not particularly happy about becoming related to  _ that  _ buffon.”

        Ryuu let out an indignant shout that was interrupted by the door opening. A young man in a black suit stood at the door, a gentle smile on his face. “It’s time,” he said, holding his hand out for Akiteru.

        Akiteru’s face lit up, and immediatly she leaned over and kissed her sister and soon-to-be sister-in-law on the cheeks before taking the offered hand. 

        Ryuu and Kei took their places in the bridesmaids’ line in front of Akiteru as music sounded from beyond the double doors. They opened inward, inviting those waiting to cross.

        Kei passed slowly down the aisle, perfectly as she’d done in her private practices. For everything she was, she wasn’t about to ruin her sister’s wedding day. She was going to make sure everything went perfectly, even if she broke her goddamn ankles walking in her heels doing it.

        By the time Kei and Ryuu had taken their places near the altar, Akiteru was in the doorway looking even more radiant than ever. 

        The dress, while elegant, was not overdone. Flowers of various sorts were strung in her hair and made up like a crown, and she held a simple bouquet of daisies. A chain made of silver that had been their mother’s was clasped around Akiteru’s throat, earning all eyes on her. 

        Everyone stood as she took the first step into the room.

        Kei could feel her heart swell, as she steeled her features into a neutral expression. 

        Seako stood only a few feet from Kei, shuffling anxiously in his place while his bride neared him. 

        Akiteru stopped in front of Kei, handing over her bouquet. With a roll of her eyes, Kei leaned over and kissed Akiteru’s cheek. 

        “You look beautiful, too,” she whispered, gently pushing Akiteru away and towards her husband to be.

        Tears of happiness leaked out of Akiteru’s eyes as she took Seako’s hand. The young man was speechless, seeing the woman he loved looking as lovely as she did. 

        “Dearly beloved,” the elder said, standing by the altar. “We are gathered here today to celebrate the union of this young man and woman.” He smiled at the two, joining their hands together. “Please, say your vows, my children.”

        It was Akiteru who was to speak first. “You cannot posses me, for I belong to myself. But while we both wish it, I give you that which is mine to give. You cannot command me, for I am a free person. But I shall serve you in all the ways you require, and the honeycomb will taste sweeter coming from my hand.”

        Seako squeezed Akiteru’s hands, smiling down at her. “I pledge to you that yours shall be the name I cry aloud in the night, and the eyes into which I smile in the morning. I pledge to you the first bite of my meat, and the first drink from my cup. I pledge to you my living and dying, equally in your care, and tell no strangers our grievances.”

        They stepped closer to each other as they slipped their plain and simple wedding rings on the others finger. “This is my wedding vow to you,” they both recited. “This is a marriage of equals.”

        The two came even closer and pressed their lips together. Everyone cheered, just as bells began ringing. But they weren’t the church bells. 

        Kei froze as the bells from the town sounded, almost ready to collapse. Akiteru broke away from Seako, only for him to pull his wife behind him. 

        Then came the first scream. 

        “It’s a raid!” someone in the pews shouted. “It’s a raid!”

        Akiteru pulled away from Seako, running over to Kei and Ryuu. “Run!” she exclaimed, even as panic ensued in the church. 

        The doors burst open, white dressed officials stomping in. Akiteru pulled Kei close, slipping the silver necklace into Kei’s hand.

        “Go,” she begged. “Go! To the forest! Run and don’t look back!”

        “Ryuu, go with her,” Seako demanded, pushing the two of them through the door under the pulpit. 

        “Seako-” Ryuu tried to protest, holding onto Seako’s arm. He ruffled her hair before pushing her further in. 

        “We’ll meet you when we can,” he said. “But you must go now!”

        “Akiteru… I’m sorry,” Kei murmured, but Akiteru only smiled as Seako slammed the door shut on them.

        The light was dim. Neither of them could truly see what was in front of them. Both stumbled along the hallway neither were small enough to fit in, Ryuu with her hand on the wall and leading the way. 

        Ryuu came to a stop when the hand in front of her felt a solid wall. She turned back to Kei, even though the other girl could undoubtedly not see her. 

        “Look for some kind of door,” she instructed. “This is the end of the line.”

        Kei gave only a miffed grunt of acknowledgement before putting her hands on the walls and feeling around, all the while trapped in her own thoughts.  _ Why now? Why today? It was supposed to be perfect! _

        A few moments later, she found a latch and lifted it. 

        A piece of the stone wall popped open and it took both girls pushing it to get it open enough to get through. 

        Ryuu froze when she heard voices, reaching out and latching onto Kei’s arm to prevent her from leaving. Not that Kei had any plans to do so anyway, but that’s besides the point.

        Ryuu peaked out from their hiding spot, watching as a group of officials dragged a few of the villagers off to the large trucks and tossing them in the back like animals.

        Ryuu could feel her blood boiling, and it was Kei’s turn to prevent her from running off and getting herself killed. Or worse- taken.

        Still trembling, Ryuu allowed Kei to drag her off in the direction of the forest. 

        Once clear of the town, they ran. Their dresses tore, their feet bleed, and their minds frantic with worry for the ones who had been destined for such a happily ever after.

* * *

        Talents are dangerous for people in the cities, but they’re even worse for those in the small towns. Hinata Shoyou was a lucky girl to have grown up in a city, if you could call the way she lived lucky.

        Dirty, poor, and constantly hungry. It was practically a crime to be all three, but at least she was able to keep her Talent hidden. Swift Fingers, Suga called them. The most useful thing the fiery girl possessed- it kept her alive, after all. 

        A thief. Hinata Shoyou was a thief, and the penalty would have been death, if she were a year older. 

        She ran down the cold streets, feet bare of any shoes against the wet cobblestone from the recent rain. A small leather purse was clenched to her chest tightly as though it were her lifeblood. 

        Hinata burst through the door of the little home she’d built with her brother, Natsu, and her friend, Sugawara Koushi. 

        Hinata and Suga had both lost their parents at the same time- the burnings that happened eight years prior. Neither had had any sort of clue about why their parents had died like that, or even why they’d died at all. 

        Natsu hadn’t even been a year old when it happened, and people don’t generally care about people they don’t know. Even children. Hinata was forced to care for the baby boy all by herself until Suga came along, and by then they were all one big, happy family. 

        Suga looked up from where she sat, patching a pair of pants. Hinata triumphantly held up her latest spoil.

        “Oh, good job, Shoyou,” Suga said, smiling brightly. While she didn’t much approve of the way the three of them lived, the truth was, for now, they couldn’t do any better. And it was better than being dead.

        “Big sis!” Natsu jumped off his bed and latched onto Hinata’s leg. “Did you get anything good this time?!”

        Hinata tumbled onto the length of floor by Suga, laughing the whole while as Natsu claimed into her lap. 

        “Wanna help me count?” Hinata asked, holding up the bag. 

        Natsu’s eyes widened in glee as he snatched the purse from his sister. He spilled the contents on the floor, making sure not to lose a single coin. 

        “Alright, let’s see what you can do,” she said, turning to sit more comfortably with a leg on either side of Natsu. 

        The young boy began sorting the coins, mumbling under his breath as he did so, a look of immense concentration on his features.

        Suga finished up her work, folding the pants and setting them aside. She watched Hinata and Natsu while they counted, occasionally messing up and laughing when they did so. It was more on Hinata’s part that got messed up, and Natsu reprimanding her. 

        It was humorous to watch.

        “So, did you actually get something for us to eat while you were out?” Suga teased. 

        Hinata’s face lit up, and she quickly pulled the faded, worn out pink though almost grey bag she carried around towards her.

        With a quick pull of a string, the top was coming off and Hinata held out two loaves of steaming bread. 

        Natsu’s eyes widened and he looked up at Hinata and Suga before grabbing one. Suga picked one up and held it out to Natsu, which he took hungrily, drooling as he scarfed it down.

        Hinata held the other out to Suga, but the elder shook her head. “Don’t mind me,” she said. “I’ll be fine. You should eat.”

        Only when Suga had looked away did Hinata take a small bit. She took a larger one, thinking deeply. Then she looked back over at Suga, who looked just as scrawny, if not scrawnier, for giving up the meals Hinata got so the two siblings could have food. 

        With a huff, Hinata laid her head down on Suga’s lap and broke the bread in two, offering the other, uneaten piece to Suga. Suga stared at her with wide, hazel eyes. 

        “I’m not that hungry,” she said with a nonchalant shrug. 

        Suga laughed, ruffling Hinata’s hair before taking the half loaf of bread. Once the young girl was set on something, it was difficult to sway her from it.

        “Don’t eat while lying down,” Suga reminded her. “You might choke.”

        Hinata just grinned cheekily before she turned over and curled into Suga’s stomach. Suga let out an amused hum, taking a bit out of the bread while allowing her other hand to play with Hinata’s hair. 

        After Natsu had finished his bread and put all the money back into the purse, he curled into Hinata’s stomach and Suga laid down so they could all be more comfortable.

        It wasn’t necessarily the best life, but it was one where they were together.

        But all good things must come to an end.

        At the ages of eight and again at eighteen, every child is required to be submitted for testing. Testing to see whether or not they possess a talent. If you did, you were sent off to the capitol. And you never came back. 

        Hinata had managed to fake she didn’t have one, so she could stay with her brother. Suga hadn’t developed one until she was fourteen. 

        But you couldn’t exactly hide Natsu’s. He didn’t know how to control it yet. 

        They were hunting for him, since Hinata had defied the law and refused to take him in. Another charge against her. There were far too many charges against Hinata- by the time she turned seventeen, she’d be burning, too. 

        Which was one of the many reason Suga and Hinata had decided they were going to run away to one of the outer towns. While the towns experienced raids every few weeks, some every other days, it would be safer. Easier to hide. They’d have more means to keep their talents hidden.

        It was only a day after Hinata had returned with the leather purse. She’d secured enough money to get them by to one of the towns, a probably rent a room until they could make more money there to buy a place.

        Everything was going exactly as planned, and they could have been ready to leave by the time night rolled around.

        If it hadn’t been for Natsu…

        He was supposed to be waiting for Hinata. She had left him at the corner while she snapped the lady’s purse. 

        “Natsu?” she called, worry in her voice. “Natsu, this isn’t a very fun game.”

        “Big sis!” 

        Hinata’s head whipped around at the call, turning on her heel and running. She moved fluidly between people, rounding the corner to see Natsu struggling as he was dragged off into one of the silver trucks.

        “Natsu!” she shouted, running towards them.

        Someone grabbed her, preventing her from to moving forward. Still she struggled, reaching out for her little brother as he did the same for her. 

        “Natsu!” she cried, tears streaming from her eyes.  _ Her arms were too short. Damnit, why were they too short?! Why couldn’t she reach him?! _

        “Shoyou!” he shouted, his face even moved stained with tears and snot. “Sissy! Shoyou!”

        He was thrown into the back of the truck, though he still kept fighting. One of the officials managed to push him inside and shut the latch before he could try to escape again. 

        But then he was up at the window, pounding on it and crying out for Hinata. Hinata numbly felt herself break away from the one holding her as she began to run after the truck, reaching out for it. 

        “I’ll get you back!” Hinata promised, unsure if he could hear her or if he’d ever know what she said. “I’ll bring you back if it’s the last thing I do!” 

        But the truck turned and sped out of sight. Everyone moved back to what they’d been doing, paying the girl no mind.

        Hinata ran back home, only thinking that she had to get Suga. That Suga would know what to do. 

        “Suga!” Hinata shouted. “Suga!”

        The door was open when Hinata arrived, Suga on the ground and putting clothes and other such things into a patched suitcase.

        When Hinata stumbled into the room, look battered and weary, Suga knew something was wrong. 

        “Shoyou, what’s wrong?” she asked, climbing to her feet. “Where’s Natsu?”

        “They took him,” Hinata sobbed, trying to muffle the sounds with her hands. “They took him. The officials. They took him to the capitol. Oh god. Suga, he has to be so scared! He’s never been away from me! We- We need to get him back! I-I-I-”

        Suga took Hinata into her arm, trying her best to comfort the girl even though she felt sadness clog her heart as well.

        “My mother…” Suga whispered, pulling away and going back over to the suit case. She began to dig through it fervently. “Before she died, my mother told me about this group of people who may be able to help us. I was able to rescue some of her things before they raided the house, and I think it’ll be helpful.”

        “Suga…”

        Suga stood up, holding an old, leather bound book. “We can’t do this alone,” she claimed. “Neither of us are strong enough. It’ll be dangerous, and we know  _ nothing  _ about inside the capitol. We’d be dead before we stepped foot in the place. This is my mother’s diary.”

        She held out the book and Hinata gingerly took in her hands, looking at the first page.

        “The Daughters of Eden?” Hinata asked, looking up at Suga. 

        Suga nodded. “It’s a dangerous bet, but one I’d be willing to take,” she said. “If you’re willing to take with me.”

        Suga held out her hand, waiting for Hinata’s answer. But Hinata had known even before Suga had done so. 

        She grabbed Suga’s hand. 

        “Let’s bring my brother back.”

 

_ The stars in your eyes are like burning flames- and I shall never get enough. _


	3. I Will Run Fast, Outlast

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Kenma meets an escapee from the capitol prison- and things only escalate from there.

        Talents were easily the worst thing to have. Some might say that was not the case in this day and age, but it was true. Of course, it was also true that the worst thing that would happen to you was you’d be taken from your family and never see them again.

        But it wasn’t like you were dead. 

        World War III: Every weapon available was used. Including nukes. It was a surprise to all that the world didn’t just collapse in on itself from the amount of explosions that went off during the time. And while it didn’t, the atomic bombs still left problems. 

        Radiation. 

        Almost everyone on earth was exposed to it, and the later generations were subject to disfigurations because of it. Disfiguration that later evolved into Talents. 

        You know some of those powers you see in superhero movies? Like Spiderman and his webs, or Elastigirl from  _ The Incredibles _ . There were so many other kinds of talents- some, in later years, were born with tails or even wings. 

        World War IV was fought between those with Talents and those without. Those with Talents, obviously, won. If only for the mere fact they had abilities that made them naturally stronger. 

        Thirty Capitals were set up all over the world, each with their own area to rule and take new Talents from. 

        Kenma was not an idiot. She’d paid enough attention in history class. She’d also paid attention in science class. People with talents were becoming more rare because the radiation in the human body was slowly leaving, hence the raids that happened so constantly.

        Those in the capitals were desperate to keep up the appearance of abundance.

        Kenma really didn’t care; it had absolutely nothing to do with her. Talentless as she was, she knew the struggle of living in the city only. None of her family had ever had talents. At least, not for many generations. 

        She hadn’t even needed to have dealt with parents for some time. Petty crimes having got them killed two-three years earlier.

        A storm raged outside Kenma’s house, making the lights flicker and the console she was trying to use not work properly. 

        A knock came from the front door, making Kenma jump and lose her focus as she tried to make the device work. Well, it was more of a pounding, and that just made it all the worse.

        But the only person who would have ever come to Kenma’s house that late at night was Kuroo, so she let out a sigh and got off the couch, leaving the console behind.

        “Good grief, Kuroo, it’s the middle of the night-”

        But stand outside wasn’t Kuroo. 

        A half conscious blond boy stumbled into the house, soaking Kenma as he fell against her. She almost collapsed under his weight. And then almost shrieked at the blood coating his back.

        As quickly as she could, she dragged him over to the couch and laid him on his stomach.

       “Oh, oh god,” she stuttered. “Um- Um. I think I have a first aid kit somewhere!”

        She jumped and ran into the kitchen, looking in every cupboard and in every drawer, things flying everywhere in her frantic search, before finally she found the white box she was searching for. 

        She went back to the boy, his eyes slowly closing. Kenma gulped, taking out a pair of scissors. She wasn’t strong enough to lift him, and he definitely wasn’t awake enough to help her remove the shirt.

        Taking a deep breath, Kenma began to cut the shirt open. 

        She let out a horrified shudder at what was underneath. Two large, jagged gashes on his shoulder blades; evidence of what had once been wings. And a small, round hole in his side. 

        Kenma took a shallow breath as she pulled out pliers, alcohol, and a cloth. With shaking hands, she cleaned his wounds. She refused to touch the pliers until she’d gotten her hands under control. 

        “You are  _ not  _ dying on my couch,” she threatened. “Not here, not tonight. You hear me? Keep holding up there.”

        As gently as she could, Kenma pulled the bullet that had been lodged in the boy’s side out. It wasn’t painless, but the boy barely even flinched when Kenma pressed a cloth to his side. 

        As best as she could, she bandaged his wounds and watched him sleep from the other side of the couch. 

       The only ones allowed guns were the officials, so unless it had been someone who owned an illegal one… She didn’t want to think about it, but the boy was most likely a criminal. 

       And aiding a criminal was dangerous. She could end up dead, just like her parents. 

       She’d interrogate him, in the morning. Once he woke up. If what he’d done was really so bad, she’d turn him back in. Even if just to save her own skin. But if not… well, she’d get to that if it came to it.

        Kenma pulled the console over to her from under the boy’s cheek, looking down at it and going back to attempting to get it to work. 

        She failed. Numerous times. And she didn’t even notice when she’d gone to sleep. 

        The next thing that she was aware of was the bright light shining in her face. And the blanket wrapped around her. 

        Kenma blinked open her eyes, noticing the black and purple blanket that’d been sitting out in the living room wrapped around her form, which was in the large chair Kuroo insisted on having. 

        Kenma reached up and rubbed at her eyes, pulling the blanket further around her body. There was no boy on her couch, so it’d probably just been a dream. There was a light clatter coming from the kitchen, but it was probably just Kuroo, over and making breakfast to make sure Kenma actually ate. 

        Kenma curled up further in the chair, beginning to doze back off when the door opened. And out walked the boy from the night before, holding two plate of steaming food. 

        Kenma paled as the boy grinned sheepishly. 

        “Oh, um, erm, s-sorry,” he stuttered, setting one of the plates onto the arm of the chair. Kenma eyed him wearily. “I- I used your kitchen? But, oh, um, I guess you can see that, can’t you? I, uh, I’d like to thank you for helping me last night. And, erm, I’m really sorry. A-About, um, coming here, and using your kitchen without your permission. I’ll be out of your way. I- I just wanted to thank you before leaving.”

        He set the other plate on the coffee table, and when he turned, Kenma could see he’d hazardly sewn the shirt back together. 

        “Eat,” she said, her voice quiet and not at all commanding. Still, the boy froze before sitting back down and picking up his plate, obediently taking a bite.

        Kenma picked at her large plate of food, only occasionally taking a bite as she watched the boy ravenously eat like he hadn’t in years. Which from the looks of him, he probably hadn’t. At least, he probably hadn’t eaten a  _ proper  _ meal in years.

        “I don’t normally eat this much,” Kenma said out of the blue, making the boy jump and turn to her with one of those sheepish grins of his.

        “Um, um, sorry,” he said, looking down. “I- I didn’t know. You- You don’t have to eat all of it-”

        “No, I’m going to,”she said. “It’s good.”

        The boy blushed brightly, looking down at his food and picking at it. Kenma studied him. For a had been prisoner, he was pretty calm around her. 

        After finishing the last bite of food, Kenma placed her fork down and leaned on her arm. He caught her watching and turn his head. 

        “Wh-What?” he asked, rubbing the back of his neck. “I- I guess you want me gone now, don’t you?”

        “No,” she said as he went to stand, making him sit back down. “So, what were you in for?”

        “H-Huh?!” he exclaimed. 

        Kenma’s held her gaze steady as she locked eyes with him. “You,” she stated. “You were a prisoner. You have the evidence of wings torn from you-- that is what they do when they take those who have Talents. Remove the Talent, if they can. And you had a bullet hole. You weren’t let go after a sentence served; you escaped. While I’m curious as to how you did so, I’m more curious as to what you did to get in in the first place. Whether or not I’m willing to risk my life for you depends on your answer.”

        The boy gulped, looking down at his hands. They were visibly shaking. He closed his eyes, taking in a deep breath. 

        “My parents,” he murmured, almost too quiet to hear. “The same crime that got my parents killed. I’ll be seventeen within the year, and I can’t die. Not now, not like that. There’s somewhere I have to go, something I have to do first.”

        “What?” Kenma questioned. 

        The boy looked up at her, his eyes having turned to steel. “ _ That _ information will get you killed, and I’m going to  _ try  _ to get out of here without that happening,” he said, standing.

        Suddenly, there was a loud banging at the door. The boy’s eyes widened and he backed away from the door. 

        Kenma stood up slowly as they gave another bang. “The officials,” she muttered, looking out the window. 

        “Shit, they know I’m here,” the boy said, gasping for breath. Kenma immediately took his wrist and began pulling him further into the house. 

        She dragged him into a bedroom, tossing a random shirt from one of the dressers at him. “Put it on,” she ordered. “It was my father’s. If they get in, you get out. Through the window if necessary.”

        Kenma pulled another one of the shirts over her other clothes, messing up her hair even more than it already was, before opening the door. 

        “What?” she asked, managing to look disinterested and bored as she looked at the four officials standing on her doorstep.

        “We’re looking from an escapee from the prison,” one of them stated, his voice gruff. 

        Kenma let out a bitter laugh. “Wooooow. People actually manage to do that?” she asked sarcastically. “Must be pretty lame, if you ask me.” 

        The officials stiffened, the one to have talked before let out a growl. “Did you see anyone last night?” he demanded. “Anyone come to your house?”

        Kenma rolled her eyes. “ _ No _ ,” she said. “Now  _ look _ , I’m tired. I was asleep until you four decided it was a good idea to bang on my door and question me about some idiot you couldn’t keep behind bars. So if you’ll excuse me, I think I’ll be going back to bed now-”

        Before Kenma could successfully get the door closed on them, a foot lodged in the doorway. Its owner pushed the door open, making Kenma stumble a few steps back. 

        The four all filed into the house and Kenma glared at the invasion of her personal space. 

        “We have reports that someone came into your house last night,” one said, grabbing the front of Kenma’s shirt and pulling her towards him. “Who was it?”

        “A friend of mine,” she snapped. “Is something so wrong about that? She’s already long gone by now.”

        The man sneered in her face. “You want to know what I think?” he growled. “I think you’re a little liar.”

        Kenma let out an involuntary shriek as she was tossed into the other three. 

        “Throw her in the truck!” the man shouted. 

        Kenma’s eyes widened in fear and she began struggling. “No!” she shouted, trying to pull herself free even as she was dragged out of the house. “Let me go! Let me go!”

        And then the boy was there. Kenma hadn’t seen him come up. 

        He kicked out, hitting one of the men holding Kenma. Then her punched the other in the neck. They both released her and he pulled Kenma to his chest and ducking low as the third charged at them. 

        Once he’d gone flying, the boy took ahold of Kenma’s wrist and began running, making her stumble after him. 

        “I am so, so sorry!” he shouted over his shoulder. “This wasn’t supposed to happen!”

        “Just get me the hell out of here!”

        The boy pulled her up to the front seat of the abandoned truck and they both crammed into it. 

        “Do you know how to drive this thing?” Kenma questioned as he turned it on.

        “Erm…”

        “We’re going to die.”

        “At least I’m trying to optimistic.”

        The boy pushed down on the gas and they sped away, the officials chasing after them. One of them was on his device, demanding backup from the ground and sky. 

        “Do not let them reach the forest!” he demanded.

        Kenma held on for dear life as they sped down the street, her knuckles going white. 

        “Two questions before I die,” she said. “One, where are we going? And two- who  _ are  _ you?”

        The boy barely looked over at her from the corner of his eyes, giving her a small nod paired with a smile. “Yachi Hitoka,” he said. “We’re going to find the Daughters of Eden.”

 

_ If Hell is where you’re going, allow me to be the forbidden fruit that gets you there. _


	4. You Can't Chose What Stays and What Fades Away

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The village has burned, the lovers join the journey, and members of the Daughters of Eden have made their appearance.

        No one  _ ever  _ comes to the town. Not for visiting. It’s a rare sight for someone to move there. The amount of raids on this particular town is so much less than any other. Perhaps that was why Noya had chosen it. 

        The reason she’d set up her little shop there, with the apartment she shared with Asahi above it. She’d seen many people in her life, but ever since she’d run from home, it’d been significantly less. 

        If she had Asahi, it was enough.

        The little shop had an assortment of things- anything you needed, you could find there. It was simple, and just a right fit for the two girls. 

        Noya was on a stepladder, restocking the shelves as the bell above the door let out a little jingle. Two unknown travelers stepped into the shop, both with hoods covering their heads. 

        It was a rare sight, but one Noya usually cherished. She smiled brightly, jumping off the ladder. Her skirt swirled around her legs as she made her way over to the counter.

        “What can I do for you today?” she asked pleasantly. 

        The smaller girl peeked out of her cloak, making sure it was covering her hair as she looked around. “Uh… um…” She gnawed on her lip, unsure of herself.

        The other girl placed a hand on her shoulder, taking a step toward Noya. “We’ll be traveling for a while on foot,” she said. “We need some supplies that are easily carriable, and will last for a while.”

        Noya hummed, bouncing about as she gathered the things. “Where ya headed to?” she asked as she wrapped some preservatives. 

        The older girl looked away, folding her arms cautiously. “We… don’t know,” she claimed. 

        Noya’s grin widened. “Just looking for somewhere to belong,” she offered. “I gotcha.”

        Asahi entered the shop through the back door carrying a large wooden crate. She didn’t pay any mind to the two customers, only going straight over to Noya and giving her a peck before leaning down to whisper in the smaller girl’s ear.

        “Officials are here,” she whispered. “Looking for two criminals from the city on the run.”

        Noya looked back over at the two girls who’s entered the shop just a few minutes before. The smaller was jumping about as she excitedly looked at something on one of the shelves, the other trying to calm her down. 

        “You don’t think…?” she said, looking up at Asahi. Asahi shook her head and shrugged. 

        “I don’t know, but we best be careful, anyway,” she muttered, taking over Noya’s job of stocking the shelves as Noya brought the wrapped items she’d been taking care of to the counter. 

        “Will that be all?” she asked. 

        “Erm, yes, thank you,” the elder said, passing over a small bag of money for Noya to count. Noya hummed as she tipped the bag over.

        “So, where you folks coming from?” she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

        The one girl had wandered over to the window, looking at the little knick knacks on display. The one Noya spoke to froze as if encased in ice. 

        “Th-The city,” she said, quickly picking up the wrapped items and backing away a couple of steps. “Thank you for all your help. We really must be going-”

        A crash sounded and everyone turned to the girl by the window. One of the glass figurines had fallen to the floor and shattered beyond repair.

        “S-Suga,” the girl whimpered. She turned back into the room, her eyes wide with evident fear. “They’re here. They’ve found us.”

        The girl, Suga, dropped the rations Noya had prepared and dragged her companion out of sight of the window, dislodging both of their hoods, and held her close as an official passed by the shop.

        Asahi was shaking behind Noya, and Noya herself could feel a growing rage.

        “So you  _ are  _ criminals!” she shouted. “What are you doing here?!”

        The girl sagged in Suga’s arms, her eyes clenched tight as if close to tears. Suga held her tightly. “No, no please, you  _ have  _ to understand,” she begged. “We  _ just  _ want to get her brother back. Without being forced into the capitol ourselves. It’s a long story just, please,  _ please  _ don’t turn us in.”

        Noya clenched and unclenched her fists, her breathing ragged. Asahi placed a large hand on Noya’s shoulder. 

        Asahi had always been a bigger girl. Slightly stocky, very tall for a girl, and had big hands and feet. She could have masqueraded as a man- if she hadn’t been such a coward. 

        With a shuddering breath, Asahi stepped forward. 

        “I-I can tell you-you’re telling the tru-truth,” she stuttered. “But- But they will come- come looking here anyway. You-You’re best ho-hope is to leave now, through the back.”

        Suga nodded silently as she pulled the other to her feet, pulling her to the back door Asahi had entered through. Asahi went to lead them through, but Noya’s shout stopped them in their tracks.

        “Oi!” she shouted. “You say you want your brother back?” Her questioned was at the smaller girl, bright orange hair now visible from under her hood. 

        “Yes,” she said, her voice surprisingly strong and confident for her weakened looking state. She pulled herself to her full height, even though it wasn’t exactly impressive.

        “And how exactly do you plan on doing that?” demanded Noya skeptically. “You’ve got no hope of breaking into it. The capitol has high security measures at every entrance and a million guards and officials. So how do you think you’re getting in there?”

        The girl nodded a bit, folding her hands in front of her as she looked at her feet. “We can’t do it,” she said. “We’re too few in numbers and in knowledge.” Noya was about to interject, but was cut off by the girl’s confident smile. “But we’re not going to do it alone. We’ll find the Daughters of Eden, and they’ll help us.”

        Suga stood rigged behind Hinata, her own face twisted into a grim smile. “It was something my parents died for,” she stated. “So they must be useful.”

        The two girls turned and left. It was another moment before Asahi and Noya looked at each other, their silent conversation in total agreement. 

        Fifteen minutes later, they had caught up with both girls in the forest, both with packs on their backs. Asahi carried maps and the like while Noya carried artillery and a bag of food rations, which she pushed into the orange haired girl’s arms. 

        “You need someone who knows the land,” Noya claimed with a grin, using her thumb to point to Asahi. “And probably someone who knows how to fight. Which would be me by the way. Nishinoya Yuu, but most just call me Noya. And my lover, Azumane Asahi.”

        Asahi’s face burned bright, but didn’t disagree with Noya. 

        “Sugawara Koushi,” introduced Suga. 

        “Hinata Shoyou!” the other girl exclaimed, bouncing around. “Suga, Suga, we have more people! This feels like an adventure!”

        Suga reached out and ruffled Hinata’s hair affectionately. “Yes, now calm down,” she said. “We don’t want you hurting yourself before it’s even begun.”

        Noya let out a laugh, throwing an arm around Hinata’s shoulder.

        “Well, this shouldn’t be so bad,” she stated. “I’ve been looking for some trouble.”

        “Yuu, you shouldn’t go looking for trouble. It finds you enough as it is,” Asahi muttered, scratching her cheek. Noya just laughed again goodnaturedly. 

* * *

        Kie and Ryuu picked their way through the town, both having discarded their heels sometime before.

        Smoke filled the air, though most of the things that had caught fire had finished burning hours before and were now just charred ashes. 

        Kei picked up one of the ribbons that had been decoration for Akiteru’s wedding. It only crumpled in her hands.

        She clenched her hands at her side, forcing down the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. Ryuu came up to her with a folded pile of clothing in her arms. 

        “There’s… nothing,” Kei muttered. “Everything’s… gone. No homes, no people.  _ Nothing _ . Not even burnt bodies.”

        “That could mean they’re not dead, then,” Ryuu stated, holding out half of the pile of clothes to Kei. “We don’t know anything yet. And they  _ did  _ bring a lot of trucks. Maybe they took-”

        “And  _ why  _ would they take  _ everyone _ ?” Kei demanded. “We don’t even have a large number of Talents-”

        Ryuu glared. “Like hell if I know,” she snapped. “I’m trying to stay positive and think that my brother is still alive somewhere out there!”

        “What the hell are you going on about?!” Kei shouted with a sweeping gesture. “There is  _ nothing  _ left here! How can you even  _ think  _ he’s still alive?!”

        “How can you think your sister is dead?” Ryuu questioned darkly. Kei glowered, snatching the clothes Ryuu had gotten for her and turning away.

        “If they’ve hurt my sister, they’re  _ dead _ ,” Kei seethed. She marched away, finding an enclosed area to change in. The clothing was big on her, and she had to tear the bottom off of the bridesmaid dress to make a belt for the pants, and another one for the shirt. 

        She carried the dress in her arms as she made her way to find Ryuu. The older girl sat on the ground, ripping shreds off the dress and rolling them up before putting them into a bag. Kei sat down by her and folded her dress neatly.

        “What are you doing?” she questioned. 

        “We can’t stay here forever, can we?” Ryuu stated. “We’re going to be traveling awhile, especially if we’re  getting our siblings back. Happily ever after doesn’t start in a prison cell.”

        Ryuu looked up and grinned at Kei. Kei’s neutral face melted a bit. Just enough to give Ryuu a small smirk and nod. 

        “For the first and probably last time, I’m in total agreement with you,” Kei stated. 

        Ryuu stood, offering Kei a hand. With a roll of her eyes, Kei took it. They went around town, gathering as much as they could. 

        It was not much, but it would suffice. As the sun turned the town a bloodied red color as it went down, the two girls stood on a hill at the edge of the forest. Kei held Akiteru’s necklace tight in her hand and Ryuu wore one of Seako’s old bandanas in her hair. 

        Taking a deep breath, Kei turned and tied the necklace around her neck. 

        “Lets go,” she said, practically silent. Ryuu gave one last nod in the direction of the home they were leaving behind, before following Kei off into the dark forest.

* * *

        Branches broke and leaves crumpled under hurried footsteps.

        The forest was almost completely black, though even if not wholly, was impossible to see in. The girl of the duo collapsed against a tree, immediately turning her back against the opposite side from the way she’d been running. The boy knelt in hiding by her leg, peering around the other side of the tree as torches followed the path they’d been running.

        “How’d they figure us out?!” Daichi exclaimed shrilly, trying to calm her panicking heart. She shook her head, pushing herself off the tree. “Doesn’t matter. We have to keep going. They’ll kill us if they catch us.”

        “You’re hurt,” Kiyoko said, reaching out and placing a hand on Daichi’s bleeding leg.

        “Oh, please,” Daichi grumbled. “The bullet just grazed it-”

        “Let me bandage it, still,” Kiyoko demanded silently. Daichi let out a sigh, holding her leg out just enough for Kiyoko to bandage it. 

        Kiyoko worked quietly and efficiently. In moments, Daichi was bandaged properly and the two were making their way on, trying to bring greater distance between them and the capitol’s officials. 

        They were the closest anyone from the Daughters of Eden had ever come to getting into the capitol. And, currently, they were the only ones to make it out alive. 

        But, you know, it’d been a decade since anyone had tried. There’d been countless lives lost when headstrong people tried to rescue family members or friends. It just wasn’t particularly easy, or possible for those without resources. 

        Even for Daichi and Kiyoko, part of the best division in the Daughters of Eden, had a difficult time even getting as far as they had. 

        “Are you alright?” Daichi questioned, her hand outstretched so she didn’t run into anything. 

        Kiyoko hummed. “I’m unscathed,” he said, but nothing more. 

        Daichi let out a sigh as she followed Kiyoko over a log and into a field. It was a fair sized stretch of grass, with a pond in the middle. Surrounded by thick trees. The moon hung heavy and violet over the clearing. 

        “It looks so much better on the outside,” Kiyoko murmured, looking up at the moon. Where the headquarters were, outside the Capitol’s territory, it was silver and the stars were plentiful and bright. 

        But there was a force field like wall, with only three entrances, surrounding the territory. It didn’t do much to hinder daily life for the people who lived in the territory, and you’d only be able to notice when the moon was out. Not that anyone in the territory knew anything different, of course. 

        Daichi had to agree with Kiyoko’s statement, though there was the fact that a purple moon had a certain appeal to it… 

_         Didn’t matter, didn’t matter, didn’t matter _ , Daichi chanted as she shook herself out of her stupor. “We’d best set up camp, I don’t think they’re going to follow us this far,” she said.

        Kiyoko, pulling out their supplies. 

        Both worked diligently while putting up their tent. They only needed the one, with them taking turns on watch all night. 

        It was Kiyoko’s turn to take first watch, so Daichi was just crawling into the tent when a loud crunch was heard. 

        Daichi whirled around, pulling a small gun attached to her leg out in the process. Kiyoko held his own out at the offender. 

        A girl with messy black hair stumbled out of the trees, her eyes wide though slitted like a cat’s. Kiyoko held the gun up to his shoulder, aiming at the girl.

        The girl warily held up her hands. “Kuroo Tetsuro,” she said, only lowering her hands as Kiyoko lowered his gun. “I’m looking for a friend of mine. She… disappeared a few days ago. I haven’t heard anything from her since. Kozume Kenma?”

        Daichi and Kiyoko looked at each other before shrugging. “We’ve heard nothing about your friend,” Daichi finally said. 

        Kuroo let out a sigh, drooping her head. “I was afraid of that,” she grumbled. She fell to the ground, leaning her head against a tree. “I talked to her neighbors. Last anyone saw of her, she was getting dragged away by some criminal the officials are after. They even drove off in the truck.”

        A spark went off in Daichi’s head. She looked over at Kiyoko. “Could it be…?” Kiyoko asked, his own eyes wide. Apparently they were thinking the same thing.

        “Did you catch the name of this criminal?” Daichi questioned.

        Kuroo tapped her chin and scratched at her head. “Uh… Can’t really remember exactly…” she explained. “But, um, I think it was like… Yachi… Yachi something or another.”

        “Yachi Hitoka,” both Kiyoko and Daichi breathed, staring at each other wide eyed. 

        “That’s it!” Kuroo exclaimed. Then she tilted her head in confusion. “How’d you know?”

        Daichi stood up, dusting off her pants od dirt. “Kiyoko, I don’t think we have the time to camp tonight,” she said. Kiyoko nodded, immediately picking up their things. 

        “Hey! What’s going on?!” Kuroo demanded, jumping to her feet. 

        Daichi slung her pack over her shoulder and looked over it at Kuroo. “That boy ain’t no criminal,” she stated. “He’s the one who’s gonna help us bring down Hell.”

        Kiyoko lit up a small torch and handed it off to Daichi before turning to Kuroo. “Your friend will be with him,” he said quietly. “And we  _ will  _ find Yachi. Come with us if you’d like.”

        “Kiyoko-” Daichi warned, but Kiyoko silenced her with a look.

        Daichi let out a sigh and turned to Kuroo. 

        “Which way did they head?” she asked. 

        “Towards the east border,” Kuroo said, coming to stand next to them. 

        “Great, we’ve got a plan,” Daichi said. “Let’s go.”

        The only sounds heard as they walked off into the night was the crunch of their footsteps on the fallen leaves. 

 

_ I shall light your way with the burning fires of Hell, if you will take my hand and lead me to Heaven. _


	5. There's an Endless Road to Rediscover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> You can't stop the rains from coming, but you can find shelter from the storm.

        Yachi and Kenma had driven for two days straight, until the truck had finally broken down. They ended up in the mountains, which was starting to get cold that time of year.

        Yachi had found a couple coats in the back, both bearing the insignia of the Capitol. He’d angrily torn the symbols off and tossed them as far as he could into the forest before handing one off to Kenma.

        “Do you even know where we’re going?” Kenma questioned. 

        By association, Kenma knew, she could be killed. But she could plead innocence by being threatened, and then kidnapped. But then she’d just feel miserable because Yachi wasn’t actually that bad. There’d only been a couple of rations in the truck, all of which he’d handed over to her. 

        “I’ve had less,” he claimed when Kenma gave him a curious look.

_         He’s a self-sacrificing idiot, _ Kenma decided.  _ And if that gets him killed, it’ll be his own fault. But I’m not going to be the death of him. It’s too much effort. _

        Yachi stood at the top of a rock, the truck long abandoned by then. He looked around before careful climbing down. He did everything carefully- even his so called reckless driving had been safer than every time she’d been in a car with Kuroo- though that admittedly hadn’t been often.

        Yachi stood in front of Kenma as he wiped his hands free of dirt. “Vaguely,” he answered her previous question. “I… I practically grew up in the prison. I was in there since I was eight, so I’m not exactly sure where their den is. I remember the way to their old base, though. I hope it’s the same, or that there’ll be clues there if it isn’t.”

        Kenma had to force herself to not give a sigh of aggravation. At least it was  _ something _ , and she had to hand it to him. He had been locked up since he was a kid. They probably just waiting for him to be old enough to execute. Or better yet, from the sounds of it, for him to die all on his own.

        Kenma hadn’t really cared one way or another, because nothing affected her. If she’d been born with a Talent, then maybe she  _ might  _ have cared a bit, because of Kuroo. Kuroo had been her only friend.

        But now Yachi was in the mix. Yachi, Yachi, Yachi. This boy who was as brave and daring as he was kind and stupid. Kenma had only spent two days in this boy’s company, and already she could see the corrupt ways of the way they lived. 

        It wasn’t in anything he  _ said _ , it was everything that went  _ unsaid _ . 

        Yachi didn’t talk about his time in the prison often. He didn’t talk about his wings (which were slowly growing back, being bumps on the back of Yachi’s shirt. Kenma cringed when she realized that they probably cut them off every time they grew back, which would be a lot of pain for anyone). He never talked about anything he’d seen in the capital, nor how he escaped the prison. 

        He talked about his family, how he’d wanted to be like his father when he grew up. About how, while he was a little harsh at times, it had always made him work harder to whatever goal he had his mind set on at the time. 

        How his mother had been sick many times while he was a child, but she’d always made time to spend with her son. How she worked harder to make his house a home, even though they worked for the Daughters of Eden. 

        The Daughters were something Yachi talked about a lot, too. About their ideals for a brighter future- days under the sun when you didn’t have to worry about whether you had a talent or not. His parents had taken him countless time, and he’d grown up around to many of the people there. Of course, many of the people he’d known were dead by then, and he looked a little sad when he said that. He’d been with them when the meeting had been raided. 

        Only a handful of other kids had been there, too. But Yachi was the youngest, so as far as he knew, he was the last of the Daughters. 

        The last part Kenma only knew because he muttered about it in his sleep one night while having a nightmare. She didn’t bring it up once he’d awoken.

        Kenma was knocked out of her thoughts as Yachi held his hand out to her from a ridge above. She took it and was surprised with the strength that pulled her up to stand by Yachi.

        “From here it’ll be some climbing,” he told her. “There…  _ should  _ be a cabin near the top of the mountain we can rest in for tonight if we can made it there by night fall. Ah, erm, if my calculations are correct, we’ll probably make it to the border in a week. The place is just beyond it.”

        Kenma gave a numb nod and Yachi took her hand to help guide her up the mountain.

        It was long and hard, especially after Kenma realized that Yachi was deliberately avoiding the main road.

        It was getting dark, and insanely hard to see. Kenma probably would have tripped and broken her neck many times if it hadn’t been for Yachi’s tight hold keeping her steady and leading her. 

        She was half convinced he didn’t just possess bird wings, but bird sight as well. Something like a hawk, maybe. Did they even have the ability to see in the dark?

        Kenma yelped when her shoe caught on a rock and she tripped. She ended up sprawled on the expanse of stone she and Yachi had been walking across, and was glad she hadn’t been near the edge and fallen off. 

        Yachi found her in the dark and pulled her up. “It’s only a bit farther,” he told her. “Can you walk?”

        Kenma’s legs felt shaky and weak from walking most of the day, but nodded anyway. Then, realizing that perhaps Yachi couldn’t see, said: “I’m fine.”

        They took a few more steps, with Kenma leaning heavily on Yachi, before Yachi stopped. He picked her up, earning a squeal as he pulled her close. 

        “What are you doing?!” she exclaimed. 

        “Can’t have you walking around blindly,” he stated innocently. Kenma felt like smacking him upside the head, but then decided it was too much effort and just let out a sigh instead.

        Yachi set her down as soon as he came to a stone wall. He looked behind at Kenma, giving her a meek smile. 

        “Do you think you can climb?” he asked. “If not, you can hold on to me.”

        Kenma wasn’t particularly fond of either thought. But she was less fond of the thought of falling because she lost her grip on a rock.

        She put her arms around Yachi neck and held on tight. 

        He grimaced as he looked back at her. “Erm, uh, s-sorry, but, um, you may need to wrap your legs around me, too,” he said. “For, erm, stability!”

        Kenma only nodded and did as told. Yachi let out a sigh of relief, probably for not getting yelled at. Then he began climbing.

        It wasn’t exactly an easy process, but they made it to the top. And just a few meters away was a cabin. After letting Kenma down, Yachi turned to her with a grin. 

        “See? It wasn’t all that bad.” Kenma shot him a look that specifically said that she did  _ not  _ agree with him.

        The two walked in silence over to the cabin. There was a window that was so covered in dust, Kenma couldn’t see in. The front door was difficult for Yachi to open, and he had to use his full weight to even get it open. 

        Kenma had expected a shack when Yachi had told her about the cabin. But, save for the dust covering everything, it wasn’t… all that bad. 

        Yachi stood in the middle of the room, hands on his hips and a smile on his face as he surveyed the cabin. 

        “I’m glad they didn’t find this place,” he said, going over to the fireplace. 

        There was a main room, with two doors in the back. To one side of the room was a wood stove and a large table, big enough to fit at least ten people. A slightly open cupboard was just above one of the counters, as if whoever had left it thought they’d be back within an hour or so.

        The other side of the room held a large stone fireplace, with a beautifully knitted rug just in front of it. A large, puffy couch was a few feet away. A couple other chairs were set around, strategically placed to get the best light from the windows during the day but enough warmth from the fire in the night. A bookshelf just  _ packed  _ with books stood to the side of the fireplace. 

        Kenma went over to them in awe, running a hand over them. Book weren’t illegal, but they were  _ very  _ rare. And therefore highly expensive. 

        Kenma had only seen one in her life. It’d been a flimsy little thing, and at the time she hadn’t been able to read it. But these books- Kenma was almost too afraid to touch them. Many were thick and large, made of a rough substance Kenma could only guess was leather. That, too, was a rare item. 

        The fire blazed to life in front of Yachi and he stood back so he didn’t get burned. 

        “Do you read?” he asked, coming over and standing by Kenma’s side. 

        “No,” she said. “Not… really. This is the first time I’ve seen so many books. And these are all in the old languages, aren’t they?”

        Yachi grinned as he looked at them. “Most of them were family heirlooms from before the third world war,” he explained, casually reaching out for a book and pulling it out of the shelf. “This one is called  _ Anne of Green Gables _ . About an orphan who was brought up on a farm. Ah, and my father read me this one when I was little.  _ Little House on the Prairie _ . It took place in the old world ‘America’, but it’s not a bad read.”

        Yachi let out another chuckle as he pointed to another one. 

        “My mother just  _ loved  _ this book,” he said, tapping the spine. “The whole idea of it. There’s seven total books, but she just  _ couldn’t  _ find the last one.  _ The Deathly Hallows _ , I think it was called.”

        Kenma couldn’t help but smile as she watched Yachi talk about all the books on display. She cocked her head as Yachi held out a book to her. Hesitantly, she took it from him. 

        She looked down at it, running a hand over the cover. “Do you… do you know how to read the old languages?” she asked. 

        “Oh, a few,” he said, rubbing the back of his neck. “Not as good as I used to, probably. I’ve probably gotten rusty after so many years of disuse.”

        “Will you teach me?” Kenma asked. 

        Yachi’s eyes widened in surprise. “Well, if you’d like,” he said. “But I already said I might not be any good…” 

        Kenma shook her head. “Doesn’t matter,” she claimed. “Just… please.”

        Yachi nodded, giving her a small smile. “Alright,” he told her. “Sure. Tomorrow. It’s late. Come on. I’ll show you the bedroom.”

        He pulled a few fluffy blankets out of the closet on the other side of the fireplace before leading her to the door on the right. 

        This room was simple. A closet, dresser, bed, and window were all that took up the space. Though, admittedly, the bed was fairly large and took up a lot of space. Most of the room, in fact.

        Yachi grinned as Kenma’s eyes widened at the sight of the large bed. 

        “There’d often be a lot of people here,” Yachi explained. “And as you can see, no fireplace or heat source in here. Sharing a bed kept everyone warm.” 

        He set the blankets down and pulled the ones on the bed off, showering the room in dust. After opening the window to let out the dust (all the while coughing), Yachi began making the bed. Kenma silently took up the other side of the blankets and began to help him. 

        “How do you remember so much about this place when you haven’t been here in years?” she asked once the bed had been properly made. 

        Yachi gave a small grin as he fixed the side of the bed he was on, even though it’d been perfectly neat before. “It’s hard to forget old memories when you can’t make any new ones,” he claimed. “And I didn’t really have much to do besides remember. Honestly, remembering is what kept me alive.”

        He let out a laugh, brushing some of his long blond hair out of his face while smiling a closed eye smile at Kenma. 

        He looked so pure, so innocent. And… handsome. Kenma’s felt like facepalming at the thought.

_         Not the time, idiot. We’re kinda on the run for our lives, and you have no idea when the officials might catch up. Oh, and not to mention- this guy is trying to find a group of rebels to overthrow the capitol. _

        Kenma threw herself on her back on the bed, which was surprisingly more comfortable than she’d imagined. She closed her eyes as Yachi went around the room. He went over to the dresser and dug around for a minute or so before pulling out a candle, a candle holder, and a box of matches. 

        He lit the candle and the room brightened instantly, adding to the glow the fire in the front room had given off. 

        “Oh, sorry, didn’t think about it. Were you tired?” he asked. “Did you want to go to bed?”

        “Mmm,” Kenma said in reply, rolling over and using her arm to cover her eyes. “‘M exhausted.”

        Yachi gave a small, nervous giggle that turned into a yawn. He placed the candle on the dresser as Kenma peeked out from under her arm.

        “There’s some extra clothing in the dresser and closet if you want to get changed,” he explained. “I’ll be in the front room if you need me-”

        “But you’re tired too,” Kenma stated, sitting up. 

        Yachi turned pink. “Erm, well, yes,” he said. “You can have the bed. I’ll sleep in on the sofa-”

        “The bed’s big enough for two,” Kenma said. 

        “Well, yes, but-” Yachi tried interjecting.

        “And there’s no heating system in here,” the girl continued. “I’ll get sick if I’m too cold, won’t I?”

        Yachi went even darker. “But- But- Well-”

        Kenma sighed, placing a hand on her brow. “Look, I know what’s going through your head right now,” she said. “But if neither of us do anything, it’ll be fine. Besides, the smart thing for us to do is  _ not  _ get sick, because it’ll be a hinderance if we’re on the run. Which we are. And since the bed is big enough for two, there’s no need for both of us to be uncomfortable in front of the fire. The most reasonable idea is for both of us to sleep in the bed. So just get changed so we can go to bed.”

        Yachi gaped at her, his eyes unblinking but his mouth opening and closing like a fish’s. Without any way to deny her accusations, he pulled some clean (if not stiff) clothing from the dresser and went out of the room to change.

        Kenma pulled a white nightgown out of the closet and began pulling off the rest of her clothing. It was perhaps a good thing she was perpetually cold, because it resulted in her wearing a lot of layers. With no time to pack anything, it left her witth only the clothes she had on her back.

        Two shirts of her own, her dad’s t-shirt, a pair of skin tight pants under sweatpants, two pairs of socks, and the shoes she’d been wearing since the day before they’d begun running. And her undergarments, which she only had one pair of each. She’d have to look around to see if there was anything that’d fit her in the morning.

        Kenma let the nightgown fall over her and pulled her hair out of it. She could do with a cutting. It might be a hindrance in the coming days. Or weeks. Or, if she was unlucky, years.

        A clap of thunder came from outside, and seconds later the door was thrown open. Yachi stood there, wide eyed and fearful. Not even completely dressed.

        Kenma quickly went over to the window and closed it, making sure to lock it. 

        Yachi tensed even more as more thunder could be heard. 

        “Hitoka, are you… scared of thunder?” she asked softly. 

        “Um, erm, that’s- uh, well, I- I guess you, um, you could say that?” Yachi stuttered. “I- I-”

        Another clap sounded and Yachi dove for the bed, diving under the covers. Kenma went over and placed a hand on Yachi’s shaking form. 

        “It’s- It’s just-” Yachi said shaking, though he didn’t bring his head out from under the blankets. “The things… that they’d use to rip off my wings and- and just  _ torture-  _ it- it had a similar sound.”

        Kenma’s heart almost broke at the words spilling from Yachi’s mouth. She blew out the candle and crawled into the bed next to Yachi, stroking his hair.

        “But you’re not there now,” she whispered, not exactly trying to comfort, but more just stating the facts. “You’re here, with me. And that’s just thunder. It’s not going to hurt you. Thunder is just a noise. Lightning can strike you, but that’s not exactly common.”

        Yachi let out a laugh at Kenma’s blunt words even as she continued to run a hand through his hair. 

        “Thank you,” he said. 

        Kenma eyed him, confused. “I didn’t… do anything,” she said. 

        Yachi grinned. “Thanks anyway.”

        Kenma hummed, closing her eyes while still petting Yachi’s head. “Your hair’s long,” she commented. 

        “Y-Yeah, I know,” Yachi said self-consciously, gripping Kenma’s wrist to prevent her from continuing. “I, um, I thought I’d cut it tomorrow.”

        “Don’t,” Kenma said, already slowly drifting off. “I… like it.”

        She was too far gone to notice how hot Yachi’s cheeks had become. “Erm, alright then,” he muttered. 

        Rain began pattering on the window and Yachi cringed. 

        “With all this rain, it’s probably not a good idea to go down the mountain until it dries up,” he whispered. “We, um, we might be stuck here for a few days. Even maybe a couple weeks? Erm-!”

        He let a miniature squeak as Kenma curled up against him like a cat.

        “K-Kozume…?” Yachi asked. 

        “‘ought I told you ‘o call m’ Ke’ma,” she grumbled. “I heard ya. Stuck here ‘til moun’in dries. Le’me sleep.”

        Yachi let out a defeated sigh as Kenma let out a soft snore, realizing she was no longer awake. He gave into his fate and closed his eyes as well.

        “Might as well get some studying and preparing in while we’re here,” he muttered as he. too, went to sleep.

* * *

_         Weeks _ .

        Ryuu and Kei had been traveling, town to town, for  _ weeks _ . No plan, no information, no hope. Nothing. 

        And to top it off, it was raining! Of all things, of all days!

        Both were in a sorry state by the time they’d reached a new town. They were soaked to the bone and fairly weak from hunger. 

        They stumbled into an inn, the lights inside dim. It was filled with people, though most of them were just murmuring quietly with those by them. 

        Ryuu and Kei took a couple of seats at the bar and slipped off their soaked hoods. With a groan, Ryuu sprawled across the surface. 

        “Show some dignity, idiot,” Kei snapped.

        “What dignity?” Ryuu grumbled, turning her head to glare at Kei. “We’re a couple of wandering teenage chicks who have been in the wilderness for the last  _ three  _ weeks, wearing nothing but rags. Any dignity I had burned down with the village. As far as we know, we’re a couple of fugitives.”

        “You wouldn’t be the first couple of fugitives to come into town.” 

        Ryuu sat up and turned to look at the girl who had spoken. She was on the smaller side (okay, was  _ really  _ on the smaller side), with light brown pigtails and dark brown eyes to match. She cleaned a glass with a white rag before setting in front of Ryuu and Kei.

        “So what’ll it be?” she questioned. 

        “Water’s fine,” Kei said. A devilish grin grew on Ryuu’s features. 

        “I’ll take a-”

        “Water,” Kei interrupted. Ryuu sent the taller girl a glare. 

        “Hey. I’m feeling adventurous-”

        Kei returned her glare. “Which this is no time to be doing,” she stated coolly. She turned back to the bar tender. “Two waters.”

        The girl shrugged, looking mildly bored. “Fine by me,” she said, turning away. “Oi! Lev! Quit slacking off, you little brat!”

        A tall girl with a long silver ponytail had the nerve to look offended, even as she leaned against the bar. “Hey, you’re smaller than me-”

        The small girl sent a kick in so called Lev’s direction, sending Lev to the ground in pain. The girl rolled her eyes at the melodramatic Lev before getting two glasses of water and brought them to Ryuu and Kei.

        She turned to leave but Ryuu called her back. 

        “Hey,” Ryuu called. The girl turned back, raising an eyebrow. “Can you tell us about the fugitives?”

        “What are you thinking?” Kei growled lowly. 

        “That this might be a clue,” Ryuu snapped. 

        The girl shrugged. “Can’t tell you much,” she admitted. “They barreled through here a couple days ago in one of the officials’ trucks. A girl and a boy. Both blonde.”

        Ryuu and Kei looked at each other. Akiteru was blonde. Seako was blond.

        “Which way did they go?”

        Surprisingly, the question came from neither Kei nor Ryuu.

        The two girls whipped around to see a trio standing behind them, all three looking dangerous. The girl behind the bar didn’t look a bit fazed at their sudden appearance, but Ryuu started drooling when she saw the boy. 

        “Oh man, he’s hooooooot.”

        “Shut your trap- you’re making a bigger fool out of yourself than you usually do.”

        “Shut it, you. He’s attractive and I’m gonna admire those muscles likes there’s no tomorrow.”

        “Not the  _ time _ , Ryuu.”

        “Towards the mountains,” the bartender claimed. 

        The head girl nodded, turning on her heels and heading for the door.

        “Wait!” Ryuu shouted, jumping to her feet. The three stopped and looked back at her. Kei put a hand on her shoulder, attempting to hold her back.

        “Ryuusuke, stop-”

        Ryuu continued to glare defiantly at them. “You’re not going anywhere without us,” she stated.

        “And what makes you think that?” the head girl questioned.

        “I don’t know who the hell you’re looking for, but me and my sister-”

        “In law,” Kei grumbled, pinching the bridge of her nose.

        “-are looking for our brother and sister,” Ryuu continued heatedly. 

        The girl behind the bar gave out a rough sigh, pushing hair out of her face. “Besides, you idiots are only going to get yourselves killed trying to go out on the mountain now,” she stated. “At night. While it’s raining. I’ve grown up on that mountain. It’s not pretty when idiots try doing stuff they don’t have a clue about.”

        The leader of the group exchanged glances with her comrades before turning back to the girl behind the counter. 

        “How long until the rains let up?” she questioned.

        The girl pondered the question, tapping her fingernails on the counter. “With the rate it’s going now? It’ll be at least two weeks before the mountain’s safe for travel.”

        The other girl’s gaze darkened, but she let out a defeated sigh. “Fine. We’ll take rooms for that long.”

        “Eh, I think we will too,” Ryuu said, looking over her shoulder at the bartender. 

        The girl nodded, turning back to Lev.

        “Lev! Be useful for once and go set up the rooms for our guests!”

        “Hey! Ow! Yaku, you’re such a meanie!”

        “Get your ass up to the second floor and prepare those rooms already, idiot!” Yaku shouted, giving Lev a kick in the process. 

        Suddenly, the lights around the room went dark and Yaku let out a huff as Lev scrambled away. 

        “Oh great,” Yaku complained with a sigh. “It’s that time already.”

        A spotlight lit up the stage- and the girl on it. 

        A girl with long, long dark hair, tinted greenish in the light. She wore a red dress that hugged all her curves in just the right way, and a dozen freckles dotted her cheeks and nose like stars.

        Music began to play and she began to dance. 

        Kei’s eyes widened and her jaw slackened as she watched the girl’s movements. 

        Ryuu smirked at Kei, taking a drink of her water. “I thought it wasn’t the time?”

        “Shut  _ up _ , idiot.”

 

_ And at long last, the skies opened up and it rained as the Angels cried. _


	6. You Don't Know Yet Where You're Going

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> People are falling in love all over the place. But now is REALLY not a good time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As you can see, I failed NaNoWriMo. But I haven't given up on this! Never! And we're about to pick up the pace after this.

        The way she danced was mesmerizing.

        The room was hushed in silence as everyone watched her.

        The dress the dancer wore wasn’t revealing in the slightest, but it made Kei feel exposed. She brought a hand up to hide her reddening cheeks under the guise of pushing up her glasses.

        Yaku nodded in the direction of the stage, knitting her eyebrows together. With stiff movements, she folded the rag she’d been using and stuffed it into her apron.

        “Who is she?” Kei asked, her eyes stuck on the girl.

        “Yamaguchi Tadashi,” Yaku replied curtly. “I wouldn’t go near her if I were you, though.”

        “Why not?” Ryuu questioned, turning her head to look at Yaku.

        Yaku’s gaze turned to a group of men sitting right near the stage. “She belongs to them.”

        Ryuu’s eyes widened. “She belongs…?”

        “She’s a slave, idiot,” Yaku hissed, her eyes darting around to make sure no one heard her..

        It was only then that Kei ripped her eyes away from Yamaguchi. “What? I thought that was illegal-”

        Yaku rolled her eyes. “They’re Talents,” she stated. “They can do anything they want- as long as they’re not brought to the capitol.” She discreetly pointed to the stage and lowered her voice. “Look closely. You’ll see the chains attaching her to her master. That’s his Talent.”

       Kei turned her eyes back to the girl on the stage as she finished her dance, and in the dimming lights caught a flash of almost transparent chains, only sparkling pinks and purple when the light hit them just right. The lights brightened as Yamaguchi bowed, the whole room erupting in applause. With a pained smile, Yamaguchi left the stage.

       Lev came back to the bar, grinning like the dork she was.

       “Rooms are ready!” she said. “Oh, uh, you two are gonna hafta double up. It’s _super_ crowded because of how many guests we have here tonight.”

       Ryuu downed her water as Kei stood. “Fine,” Kei said. “We’re used to sharing rooms.”

       The rains continued for another week, then another.

       It was late, and Ryuu slept in her bed, snoring loudly. Kei had been trying to read a book she’d borrowed from Yaku, but it wasn’t working with how loud Ryuu was being.

       With a groan, Kei slammed the book shut and pulled a sweater on before leaving the room. She didn’t really have a plan in mind of where she was going, so she just let her mind wander with her feet.

       Then she collapsed to the floor with a weight on top of her. Kei looked up with wide eyes at the ones staring back at her.

       The girl atop of Kei shrieked, jumping and backing away from her as Kei got to her feet. “I’m- I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed. “I- I didn’t think there’d be anyone up this late at night-!”

       She stopped talking when Kei gave her a look. Kei reached down and held out a hand. Hesitantly, the girl took it. Curiously, Kei looked up to the ceiling and saw the open vent.

       “How the hell did you get up there?” she questioned, prompting the girl to giggle.

       “Well, um, erm, funny story…” she said, fiddling with her fingers.

       Kei shrugged, not entirely interested. “Whatever. I’m going down to the bar.”

       “W-Wait!” the shouted, tugging on Kei’s sleeve to pull her around. The girl was bright red and worrying at her lips. “Um, um, is- is it okay if I go- can I go with you?”

       Kei closed her eyes with a sigh and shrugged. “Can’t really stop you,” she stated before turning back around.

       The girl happily skipped along at Kei’s side.

       “I’m Yamaguchi Tadashi,” she said happily.

       Kei eyed her warily. “Tsukishima Kei,” she said, looking forward as she led the way down to the bar. “Are you supposed to be out and about?”

       Yamaguchi froze. “Uh, um, that- that’s-”

       “I’ll take that as a _no_ .” Kei tsked her tongue. “Don’t worry. I’m not a _tattle-tale_.”

       They walked into the bar, Yaku still behind the counter. A couple of people were asleep on the tables, but neither girl paid them any mind. Yaku looked up as the two sat down.

       “You’re up late,” Yaku said to Kei as she finished cleaning a glass.

       Kei shrugged. “Couldn’t sleep.”

       Yamaguchi was looking around the place in wonder and Kei raised an eyebrow at her. Yamaguchi just smiled.

       “I’ve never been on this side of the stage before,” she admitted. Yaku slid her a glass of an amber liquid and Yamaguchi smiled sweetly as she looked into it. “I… like this better.”

       There was silence for a couple minutes while both Kei and Yamaguchi sipped at their drink. Kei looked out of the corner of her eye at Yamaguchi’s form. She had a dozen or more freckles scattered across her nose and cheeks, which scrunched in a mixture of disgust and delight when she sipped at her drink.

        “How long have you been owned by them?” Kei asked, making Yaku choke.

        Yamaguchi let out a nervous giggle, brushing hair behind her ear. “Erm, well, for as long as I can remember, really,” she admits. “I can sometimes remember bits and pieces of a life before, but it’s not much.”

        She twisted her arm around and it looked like she’s grabbing thin air. With a tilt of her wrist, Kei could see a glimmering chain twisted around Yamaguchi’s wrist. It would be beautiful, if it wasn’t proof of Yamaguchi’s enslavement.

        Kei reached out to touch it, but her hand went right through the chain.

        Yamaguchi gave her a sad smile. “The only ones who are actually able to touch it are Master and I,” she said quietly, letting go of the chain. It dropped and whipped out of sight. “And with him having the key… I cannot go far.”

        “I’m sorry,” Kei murmured uncharastically.

        “It’s not your fault.”

        “All the same…”

        Kei couldn’t find the words she was looking for, and Yamaguchi placed a hand on her shoulder with a smile.

        “Thank you.”

* * *

        Quite some time had passed since Hinata and friends had set out for the Daughters of Eden. They’d followed the directions in Suga’s notebook to the letter, even keeping off all the main roads when it instructed.

        Entering the rainy season of the North Territory wasn’t the most pleasant of things, however.

        All four were soaked to the bone, and occasionally Hinata would let out a sneeze. Suga gave her a worried look.

        “Are you okay?” she asked, putting a hand on Hinata’s back. Hinata grinned up at Suga, her smile bright.

        “We’ve been through worse,” she claimed, taking Suga’s arm and walking close.

        Noya and Asahi popped out of the tree line and came over to Suga and Hinata, Noya skipping and Asahi following while shaking her head.

        “We found an abandoned truck!” Noya exclaimed. “We can stay there tonight and move on tomorrow.”

        Hinata shivered against Suga, prompting Suga to turn to the others and nod. “Lead us there.”

        Wordlessly, Asahi led the way to the truck. Large and imposing, the silver truck was undeniably one from the capitol, though it was obviously abandoned and had been left in the rain. The amount of rain made it difficult to tell how _long_ it had been abandoned, however.

        Hinata gulped as she stared, fixated, on the truck. Memories of Natsu being taken, right in front of her eyes, flooded her mind. Suga entwined their fingers and smiled comfortingly at her.

        “It’s alright,” she whispered reassuringly. “We’ll be okay for a night.”

        The four of them climbed into the truck, Asahi and Noya curled up against each other in the back. They were asleep within seconds. Hinata, however, sat in her cold, hard seat and just stared out at the spattering rain.

        A weight landed on her and Hinata turned to see Suga having placed one of the blankets that was wrapped in a bundle over her. It was damp, but a lot more dry than the rest of Hinata. Suga smiled.

        “You okay?” she asked.

        Hinata looked down to her lap and pulled her knees to her chest before shaking her head. “No- No, I’m- I’m- Not really,” she finally admitted. “I- I- I _miss_ Natsu. I’m- I’m scared. I’m scared that they’ve _done_ something to him. That he’s been _hurt_ . That he’s out there, waiting for me to come get him and _save_ him, but I’m _not_. We’re heading in the opposite direction.”

        “We may be getting farther away, but we’re getting closer to saving him,” Suga claimed, taking Hinata’s hand. “We’re _going_ to save him, Shouyou, I promise you that.” Suga tugged on Hinata’s hand and Hinata silently climbed over and curled up in Suga’s lap. Suga began running her fingers through Hinata’s hair.

        Hinata sniffled and rested her head on Suga’s shoulder. “I didn’t want this to happen,” she muttered. “I just- I wanted all of us to stay together.”

        Suga kissed Hinata’s head and held her close as she wrapped the blanket around them. “None of this should have happened,” she murmured. “None of this was supposed to happen. We’ll be together again soon, Sho, I know we will.”

        Hinata nodded, the warmth surrounding her making her feel drowsy. She closed her eyes and clutched Suga’s shirt tightly for assurance that she was truly there. Even as she drifted away to dreams, her mind continued to be plagued by the thoughts of her absent brother, and the fact that he should have been there with them.

* * *

        The rainy season continued. Yachi had quite forgotten that the rain went on for so long in the Northern Territory.

        It gave good excuse for recuperating and teaching, though.

        Many nights, Yachi and Kenma sat at the large wooden table with papers and old pieces of charcoal wrapped in wood (“Pencils,” Yachi supplied when Kenma asked about them. “They used to be the main utensil of writing back before computers were built. But with all the radiation in the earth, unaffected trees are precious and hard to come by…”). It wasn’t that Kenma didn’t know how to write- she had a beautiful scrawling script almost as good as Yachi’s- but she didn’t know how to write in many of the old languages.

        Their capitol had been in Old Japan, but the language was far too hard to learn for a first language, Yachi believed, so he began with some of the easier ones.

        Sometimes, on days when Kenma was having difficulty translating the scripts in the books to words she could understand, they’d just sit by the fire after dinner and Yachi would read a book aloud.

        His voice occasionally cracked from disuse and he stumbled over some of the words occasionally, but it was pleasant to listen to. Kenma often became entranced by the stories and Yachi’s voice, and sometimes forgot about the devices she had not touched since they’d went on the run.

        Yachi, for the matter, was regrowing his wings. It was… painful. Some nights, he wouldn’t wear a shirt to bed. He’d be laying on his stomach, trying to hold in his cries of pain. Those nights, Kenma would have already gotten the healing solutions ready though he insisted that he didn’t need it.

        It wouldn’t be much more than an hour or so later- Kenma having barely rested at all- that Yachi began crying out in pain. Kenma rushed from the bed for the balm and eased it into his shoulder blade by the wings.

        The solution stung, a burning pain that overwhelmed all the others. Yachi cried out for her to stop. For it all to stop. The pain was too much. But even with shaking hands, Kenma kept going. Hours later, the medicine would take effect and numb the pain of the hazardly growing wings.

        She wished she could do more. But she knew nothing about Talents, much less specific talents. She was no doctor, either.

        Yachi would sleep for most of the day after one of the terrible nights, and often Kenma would just sit there with him. Watching him.

        Kenma looked down at Yachi’s sleeping face, the blankets tangled around her legs. _Still haven’t cut our hair_ , she noted. She brushed a stray strand of hair behind her ear and blinked at Yachi as his face scrunched up in pain, but he didn’t awaken.

        Kenma reached out and brushed long strands out of his face, almost smiling when he leaned into the touch and his expression softened. Her lips quirked up just a bit at the corners. _He’s not terrible, is he?_ she thought.

        She abruptly pulled her hand back and almost fell off the bed because of the sudden movement, and only had not done so because of the tangled blankets.

        Kenma quickly pulled the blankets off of her and rushed into the main room as quickly as she could. She began pacing, one hand gripping at her chin while the other rested on the opposite elbow.

_What was that? He is objectively attractive, yes, and far too kind for his own good. It’s going to get him killed one of these days. But I… don’t… want that? Never good. No. We’re on the run. Capitol people want us dead. If they catch us, it’s not a matter of if we’ll die, it’s only how and when. I can’t add in feelings._

        Kenma almost choked on her own spit as the thought crossed her mind.

_Oh. Feelings. That’s what that is. That’s not good. How did they come? We’ve been in a cabin alone for two- three, four?- weeks. I assume it’s not the oddest thing to have happened. Expected from close proximity._

        Satisfied, Kenma took a seat on the plush couch. She reached over the arm of the couch to grab at the book that had been left on the end table the night before. She began flipping through the pages, not really reading but various words popping out at her that she could now recognize.

        About half an hour later, Yachi came out of the bedroom, a robe tied around him in place of a shirt. As far as Kenma had learned, it would take some time before they’d grown large enough to be able to fold comfortably. Hence, he was stuck wearing larger items so his wings could have room to move.

        Or nothing at all, which Kenma didn’t really mind either way.

        Neither Kenma nor Yachi spoke as Yachi headed over to the stove and began fixing a simple breakfast. It was several long moments before the silence, marred only by the sizzle of food in the cast iron pan, was broken by Yachi.

        “The rains will cease soon,” he noted.

        Kenma hummed. “Yes.”

        “After about a week the mountain will dry. We’ll be able to move on.”

        Glass clinked as Yachi pulled plates down from the cupboard. Two small thuds sounded from behind Kenma, then the clink of metal again glass. Yachi came around the couch and handed Kenma one of the plates, taking the other and sitting by her.

        “Do you- Are you sure you want to go?” Yachi asked, picking at his food. Kenma already had a bite of food in her mouth - even with their limited supplies, Yachi was a good cook and with someone like him, Kenma could almost get used to eating full meals everyday - but looked up at Yachi regardless.

        “What are you talking about?” she questioned as soon as the food was down her throat. “Of course I’m going. I didn’t get into trouble with the law and risk my skin for nothing.”

        Yachi fidgeted in his seat, his fingers tapping anxiously on the bottom of his plate. “I know! I know. I just- It’s- The Daughters of Eden- they’re outside the field. You, um, might not know it? I mean, I’ve never gone to one of your school, so I don’t know what they teach you. But, um, there’s a field? Surrounding the capitol to about three miles north of where we are. It, um, is about the same distance all the way around? I think. It’s- It’s been a long time.

        “Any- Anyway, um, there’s only three exits, which are normally heavily guarded. But, um, out- outside? There’s- There’s still a lot of radiation. Some places, you can’t touch something without there being radiation in it. There’s lakes _full_ of it. And- And some of the food? It’s- It’s grown, out there, most of it. And, um, sometimes that’s got radiation too.”

        Kenma rolled her eyes after Yachi finished his explanation and she’d finished her food.

        “If I cared about radiation, I wouldn’t be here,” she claimed. “You have radiation _in_ you, hence why you have wings of all things. I’m not going anywhere. I didn’t leave home and everything I knew for _nothing_. I’m going with you.”

        Yachi didn’t look up as Kenma went off to wash her dishes. He still picked at his food. “I never said I’d leave you,” he murmured, out of Kenma’s hearing.

        “What was that?”

        “Nothing! Um, two weeks?

        “Two weeks.”

 

_To the world you are nothing, but to a nothing like me, you are the world._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> You may not have noticed, but each of the chapters are lyrics from a song. Guess correctly and I may just give you kudos and a shout out in the next chapter.


	7. Don't Think, Just Run

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group comes together - but tragedy is never far. And lovers are forced apart.

        Kuroo, Daichi, and Kiyoko all sat together in the room they’d been given. They were in a circle around an old, yellowed map. 

        Kuroo looked between her companions. “Do you two make a habit of picking up random strangers?” she asked. “‘Cause, you know, first me. Then those two. You plan on picking anymore up?”

        Daichi sent Kuroo an unamused look. “No,” she snapped. “This entire thing wasn’t supposed to happen. We’re looking for Yachi Hitoka, and we’d planned to leave as soon as we’d retrieved him. However, things didn’t go to plan. Now we’ve got you and them to worry about. But the more people we have on our side, the better.”

        Kiyoko stood at the sound of a crash coming from the room across from theirs. It was Tsukishima and Tanaka’s. He headed for the door and went to open it, only for it to be thrown open. 

        Tanaka stood there, wide eyed and scared. “Have any of you seen Kei?” she begged, her voice close to broken. “She- She’s not in our room and- and I don’t-”

        “She went down to the bar early this morning,” Kiyoko said softly. “She’s been going down early every day for a week. How have you not noticed?”

        Tanaka’s eyes watered, voice blocked in her throat. Kiyoko put a hand on her shoulder. 

        “I’ll come with you.” Kiyko gently pushed Tanaka out of the door while Daichi and Kuroo cleaned up the mess they’d left behind. 

        “So, when do we leave?” Kuroo asked. “Kenma’s still out there. She could be anywhere out there. Hurt or worse.”

        “We’re all getting restless,” Daichi claimed through gritted teeth. She stood and pulled a pack over her shoulder; over the course of her time under the dome, she’d gotten used to wearing it and didn’t go anywhere without it. “We’ll leave when the rain lets up.”

        She followed Kiyoko and Tanaka down to the bar before Kuroo could say another word. 

        When Daichi arrived, Tanaka was on Tsukishima’s back and rubbing her knuckles into the blonde’s hair. 

        “I’ve already lost everything else you ain’t getting away from me too!” Tanaka screeched. 

        Tsukishima smirked at Tanaka. “Oh, are you scared of being alone?” she teased. Tanaka gave her a serious look and grit her teeth. 

        “Yes.”

        Everything tensed between the two, and a dark haired, freckled faced girl looked nervously between the two. 

        “Uh, um, what’s- oh, erm, nevermind,” she claimed once Tanaka and Tsukishima looked to her. She looked down to her hand and turned bright red all the way from her ears to her neck. 

        Yaku began handing out drinks. “You’d better get going,” she told the girl. “If everyone’s waking up. Don’t want you getting caught.”

        The girl nodded quickly as Kuroo slid up to the space directly in front of Yaku and gave her a flirtatious grin. “Hi.”

        Yaku glared. “Get lost. I’ve already got a lover.”

        “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”

        Tsukishima stood from her spot and took the girl’s, Yamaguchi, arm. “I’ll walk you back,” she offered. 

        Yamaguchi turned impossibly brighter. “There’s- There’s no need!” she exclaimed, tripping over her dress in her attempt to put distance between her and Tsukishima. In the process, she ended up knocking  _ into  _ Tsukishima and knocking the taller girl’s glasses off. “Oh, oh, I’m so sorry!” she exclaimed. 

        She went to aid Tsukishima up from the floor, but Tsukishima waved her away. “I’m fine, I’m fine.” 

        As Yamaguchi picked up Tsukishima’s glasses from the floor, the chains around her wrists glinted in the morning light filtering through the windows. She bit her lip and held the glass out to Tsukishima. 

        Tsukishima blinked at Yamaguchi and her eyes seemed to lock on the lock on Yamaguchi’s chains. The chains fell off just as the door to the bar opened again. With Yamaguchi’s master standing there. 

        Yamaguchi gaped at her free wrist and Tsukishima. Tsukishima just looked bewildered. 

        “Well, we’re not staying here,” Tanaka said, taking Tsukishima’s glasses and pushing them up on Tsukishima’s face before taking her hand and dragging her to the door to that led to the kitchen. 

        “You little bitch! You lost me my slave!”the man bellowed. 

        As Tsukishima was dragged off, she grabbed Yamaguchi’s wrist to drag her along as well. Yaku jumped over the bar and knocked Kuroo to the ground as the man threw out transparent chains from his palms. 

        Another went to Daichi, but Daichi lurched to the side to avoid them. Yaku pulled a gun from her pants and shot at the master with violet lasers from the gun when he let loose more chains. One grazed his arm and he fell to the ground on his knees, grasping his burning shoulder. 

        The lasers that shot from many of the new form of guns were so hot and so fast they shot through skin and cloth and various other forms of solids- but immediately cauterized them. However, the pain was generally too great for mere people to withstand. 

        Kuroo looked at Yaku in wonder as she was pulled to her feet and Yaku cocked her gun, getting it ready for another blast. 

        “Those things aren’t open to the public!” she exclaimed. Yaku looked at Kuroo with a strange glint in her eyes, though she never turned her head. “They’re illegal to have unless you’re an official! How do you have one?!”

        “How do you expect me to keep bar brawls to a minimum?” Yaku questioned.

        “Let’s go!” Daichi shouted, running for the kitchen door after Tanaka and Tsukishima. 

        Yaku followed the group, shooting off her small weapon when one of their pursuers got too close. Just as they burst through the doors, Lev walked in through the kitchen’s back door while fixing her ponytail. 

        “Hey, what’s all the fuss?” she asked. 

        “Lev, where’s your car?” Yaku demanded, running and grabbing Lev’s wrist. 

        “Out back-” Lev never got to finish her sentence as the group dashed past her and outside. Lev followed, not as in a rush. 

        “Does anyone know how to drive?” Tanaka questioned. 

        “Yeah, I got this,” Kuroo claimed, climbing into the driver’s seat. Everyone else piled in wherever they could fit, Lev pushing herself into the back of the vehicle by Yaku. 

        “Step on it!” Daichi exclaimed. 

        The car was different the the officals’ trucks. It didn’t glide smoothly and had basically been hand built. It was much smaller, only fit for four people, max. Unless they were, of course, piled on top of one another. 

        Kuroo recklessly pulled the car around the inn and headed towards the mountain. 

        “Look!” Yamaguchi exclaimed. 

        Out by the front was two trucks that belonged to the officials of the capitol. And talking to the men in white suits was the man who’d kept Yamaguchi captive. He caught sight of the car and waved wildly in their direction. 

        The capitol dogs looked to the car and one spoke into a radio.

        “Go faster!” Yaku demanded. 

        “You wanna drive?!” Kuroo shouted as the two trucks began following them, gaining every so often. “I can’t make this hunk of junk go much faster!”

        “Hey, this is my  _ baby- _ ”

        “Lev, shut up!”

        “Ugly baby, bro.”

        Through the mirror, Kuroo could see the trucks gaining on them. Along with the  _ ugliest  _ van, and the master hanging out of the window. He too carried a gun. Kuroo tightened her grip on the steering wheel and gritted her teeth. 

        She sharply turned the wheel and the car flew off the road and into the forest. All of them could have screamed, or it could have just been a few. For a few moments, they seemed to be held in thin air. 

        Then they dropped back onto the ground and skidded before moving on again. 

        It was bumpy and people conked head, however no one said another word as the fear and instinct of survival took over them. 

        The roar of a much larger, much deadlier, vehicle came from just behind the crew. Yaku turned to look outside the back window and thought she might have screamed at the sight of the big, metallic truck. 

* * *

        Hinata, Suga, Noya, and Asahi had been stuck in the truck for a few days. After the first couple, finding a comfortable place to sleep (on Suga, getting kisses on the forehead to put her to sleep and ones on the lips to wake her up, Hinata found) had been much easier.

        Even peaceful, one might say. 

        Hinata was awoken before the others, one day, by the screech of a car. She jumped in Suga’s hold at the sound, but stayed low and quiet, though alert. 

        Slowly, she moved Suga’s arms from around her waist and crawled over to the driver side window to peek over it. A small, beat up car covered in much seemed to have crashed into a tree. An impossible amount of people climbed out. 

        “That’s the truck!” a girl with light brown hair exclaimed. “The one that passed through town!”

        “Seako, Akiteru,” one with ashen hair said to another. 

        A boy with black hair steeled his features, though it looked like he was ready to argue the comment. The rather large group headed for the truck and Hinata jumped once again, this time moving to work on waking up the others. 

        “Koushi, Noya, Asahi!” she exclaimed, shaking Suga. “Wake up! Wake up!”

        Suga’s eyes blinked open and she looked at Hinata peacefully before her features turned to horror at Hinata’s terrified expression. She sat up quickly, almost conking heads with Hinata. 

        “What’s wrong?” she demanded. 

        “Others,” Hinata said. “Coming. Here.  _ Now _ .”

        Suga didn’t say another word but got to work and shaking Noya and Asahi awake. “Wake  _ up _ !” she demanded, her voice resounding and holding force. 

        Immediately, Noya and Asahi were awake. 

        “Let’s go,” Suga said, pushing open the passenger door. Everyone climbed up and had barely gotten to the line of trees before the larger group had reached the truck. 

        A silver truck, followed by another and a van moments later, reached the clearing both cars had broken down in. 

        “Officials,” Hinata whimpered, hiding behind Suga. 

        Suga grabbed Hinata’s hand and squeezed it tightly. “They’re not getting us. Not today.”

        With that, she dragged Hinata along behind her. 

        Tall grasses and weeds and tree branches whipped at their faces as the group ran through the forest. Some were soft like satin, others sharp like blades and leaving cuts. 

        They all slipped and slid on the mud, still not dry from the rain. 

        “Keep going!” someone shouted behind them. 

        Hinata took a look back for a chance to see who followed them, but the movement caused her to lose her balance and slid. She slid several feet in front of the group, right in front of a tall ravine. 

        “Shouyou!” Suga rushed to Hinata and pulled her up, holding her close. 

        “There’s not time to stop,” Noya stated, pushing them on though both Suga and Hinata’s hearts continued to be far faster than normal. 

        The ravine was steep and slippery, though the group of four made it across. A scream cut through the air behind them. 

        A girl in a red dress dangled precariously from the ledge. “Help!” she screamed, one hand slipping from the ledge and unable to find purchase no matter how hard she tried. 

        Asahi looked to Noya then back to the girl. Noya nodded and Asahi was off. None of the girl’s companions could reach her, but Asahi did so with ease, pulling her up on the cliff again. 

        “Come with us,” she said simply. 

        Without another word, Asahi carried the girl in her arms to Noya and the other. The girl latched onto Asahi fearfully as the group ran on.

        Now that they’d amassed so many people, it would have been impossible to hide. The large group had no choice but to run. 

        And they did. They ran and ran through the thick forest, vines and leaves getting tangled in their hair and getting scratched on bark and tripping over fallen forest. 

        But they couldn’t stop. For some, it almost felt like the sounds of their pursuers were imagined. But even if they weren’t, they were certainly close by. 

        Their run came to a stop when they came to a rock cliff. A dead end. 

        “How do we get away now?” a girl with messy black hair demanded. 

        “We have to climb,” said another. She was scarred all over her face and carried the aura of a soldier. She gave a small, heavy sigh of relief. “I didn’t think we’d make it. We’re where we’re supposed to be.”

        Immediately, she latched onto the wall and began scaling. The boy with black hair began climbing as well. The one with ashen hair and the one with blonde looked to each other and followed suit. The others were more hesitant. 

        “Can you climb?” Asahi asked the girl in her arms. She looked down at her wrist. It was twisted and bruised and ugly. With a thick lump in her throat, the girl shook her head. “Then hold onto me.”

        Noya jumped onto the wall, grinning at the girl. “Trust Asahi!” she exclaimed. “She can do anything!”

        The girl held tightly to Asahi as she climbed the rocks, Hinata on one side and Suga on the other. 

        A crash sounded through the space as the officials and strange men with guns entered the clearing. They began shooting at the climbers. 

        Hinata cringed as a missed shot sent rocks and dirt falling on her. “We’re almost there,” Suga called. 

        Hinata nodded and continued on with more vigor. 

        “Come on!” someone called from the top. 

        A yellow laser shot found its way to Asahi’s lower back and she cried out in pain. 

        “Asahi!” Noya shouted. 

        “Fine, fine,” Asahi claimed through gritted teeth. She continued on, though each second her made her muscles feel weaker. 

        Asahi finally made it to the top and set the girl down, doubling over in pain. Noya rushed to her side and held her shoulder. 

        “Asahi, come on, we’ve almost made it,” Noya whispered, her voice soft. “Come on. Just a little farther now.”

        Asahi nodded and stood, denying Noya’s offer of help. She went to take another step, but the glint of yellow out of her eye caused her to change direction. 

        Asahi jumped in front of Noya and pushed her to the ground, causing the yellow laser hit Asahi in the back instead. Asahi gave Noya a weak smile before her eyes became too heavy and she fell back.

        Right. Off. The cliff.

        “Noooo!” Noya wailed, reaching out for Asahi as she fell. “Asahi!”

        The yellow laser were not designed to kill. They were tranquilizers at best. But the fall- from that height- it could have killed even Asahi. 

        “No, no, let me go! Asahi!” Noya screamed, kicking and screaming as Suga pulled her away from the edge. Some of the people in white dragged Asahi’s body towards the tree line and out of sight. 

        “Noya, calm down,” Suga begged, holding tight to Noya’s smaller body. “Please, please, Noya-” Noya wouldn’t listen to a word she said. She continued to fight the hold that held her tight. 

        “ASAHIIIIII!”

* * *

        “ASAHIIII!”

        Kenma’s head shot up from her place at the stove cooking breakfast. Yachi stood quickly. He stood in nothing in the way of shirts today, letting his golden wings stretch. It’d given Kenma quite the view and she unabashedly enjoyed it. 

        “What was that?” Kenma questioned. 

        “I’ll go check,” Yachi said, heading for the door. Kenma rushed to his side and pressed one of the rusty guns they’d found deep in storage into his hands.

        “Be careful,” she ordered. Yachi’s hands closed over hers on the weapon and he nodded resolutely. 

        “I will.”

        Yachi turned away and left the house. Kenma fiddled with the hem of her shirt as she watched him leave down the muddy slope. 

        The guns had been practically useless when they were found. Some of the jammed, some of them broken, some completely run dry with no way to recharge. 

        Kenma had done her best with Yachi’s instructions. She wasn’t a weapons expert; she knew electronics. That was her forte. 

        The gun could not work. Yachi could die because his weapon wouldn’t work right when he needed it to. 

        The thought made Kenma’s heart clench and beat all the faster at the same time. 

_         I won’t stand around and be useless.  _

        Kenma took a pack and filled with with anything she could. She took up two gun and stared at them, at how unfamiliar they felt in her hands. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the stove. She turned her eyes to the stove and they lingered as she studied it. 

        She stuffed the guns into her belt loops before marching over to the stove. Once there, she hesitated with her hand outstretched. Then she turned the stove off. 

        “I don’t think we’ll be coming back any time soon.”

        Then she turned and dashed out of the house and after Yachi.

        Yachi walked quietly, silently, through the underbrush. 

        His feet didn’t make a sound. His breath was silent. 

        A large group of people, nothing more than teenagers, were all gathered at the cliff edge. One sobbed into the chest of another. They all looked haggard and rugged. 

        Yachi furrowed his brows in a way that might have meant to be terrifying and angry… It didn’t work. 

        He stepped out from the line of trees, his wing outstretched to as far as they would go. He held his practically useless weapon in both hands, ready to fire if necessary. The sun shined like a spot light on his back and cast his shadow large. 

        The group turned towards him. Many gasped. And it would have been hard not to. 

        His features were partially blurred by the light, but his honey eyes shone bright and clear as a golden color. The sun glinted off his wings and hair, making them seem sharp and golden.

        “How are you and why do you come here?!” he demanded. 

        “It’s him,” said a girl with long black hair and scars maring her face. “It’s really him.”

        But it was not just those on the top of the cliff that had seen Yachi. Those at the bottom had as well. 

        “It’s the escaped prisoner!” one of them shouted. “Alert anyone in near vicinity and the capitol! The prisoner is here!”

        At the shout and buzz of radio being activated, Yachi gritted his teeth and held his gun up to his shoulder, training it on the others. 

        “You aid those capitol rats!” he exclaimed. 

        A darkness began to spread through the back of Yachi’s mind. A sick feeling in the pit of his stomach. It dropped and weighed heavily in him. 

_         This is it. This is where I die. My peaceful time with Kenma is gone. It’s all over. _

        For a moment, Yachi thought back to his parents and all his friends from before the prisons. The happiness, the laughter. The games they’d play in the sun, but the stories they’d be told or read by firelight. 

_         It’s all gone. It’s all over.  _

        His parents, who’d loved him dearly and had given him everything. The way to rule the world if he’d wanted to. Who’d held him close when he was scared. Who always told him it’d be alright. It was okay to be scared.

_         Mama… Papa… I’m scared.  _

        His time with Kenma had been brief. He’d only known her shortly, and he’d gotten her mixed up in something she  _ never  _ should have been mixed up in. But he couldn’t think to regret it, only to miss those times and all the moments that would have.

_         I don’t want to die. _

        A tear slipped down Yachi’s cheek and his hands shook as he tried to hold his hand steady. He closed his eyes tight. 

_         But if there’s one thing you ever taught me… _

        Yachi opened his eyes and they held a determined glint. 

_         It’s you never go down without a fight.  _

        Yachi’s finger hovered over the trigger when- “Don’t shoot!”

        Kenma came sliding down the path behind Yachi and Yachi whirled around in a panic. He looked at Kenma, wide eyed. 

        “What are you doing here?!” he exclaimed. 

        Instead of answering him, Kenma pushed past and eyed the crowd of people. Her jaw slackened. 

        “Kuroo?! That’s really- oh my god, you little-!”

        “Kenma?” A girl with messy black hair- the one Kenma identified as “Kuroo”- stood and made her way over to Kenma. Hesitantly, she reached her hand out to touch Kenma’s face. Her eyes widened when Kenma didn’t disappear. 

        Then she wrapped Kenma up tightly in her arms, and Kenma didn’t fight her on it. She didn’t hug back, either, but that’s just who she was. 

        “Oh my  _ gods _ , I thought you were  _ dead _ ,” Kuroo claimed. 

        The radio hum got loud and the others stood. A loud whirring sounded and Yachi looked beyond the reunited friends. 

        “This is great and all, but it’s really time to go,” a blonde girl snapped. 

        She pushed passed Kenma and Kuroo and Yachi angrily, followed closed by a girl with ash colored hair. 

        The girl from before, with the long black hair, the one who seemed to recognize Yachi, stood. “Tsukishima’s right,” she claimed. 

        “Now. Now would be a good time to go,” an orange haired girl squeaked. 

        A chopper came into sight, flying over the trees. Most likely led by a signal the radios gave off. 

        “Let’s go!” a black haired boy shouted. Kenma pushed one of the guns she carried into Kuroo’s chest and followed them into the trees. 

        The boy and girl seemed to know their way around the woods just as well as Yachi did. So the three began to lead them. 

        A blast took out the tree behind them, turning them into nothing but charcoal and ash. Another blast in front of them did the same. The group scattered and ducked their heads. A few were thrown to the ground from the blast.

        Yachi was among them. He pulled himself to his knees and looked around at their large group. He counted them in his head. 

_         One two three four- thirteen. Thirteen people. _

        Yachi looked to Kenma as Kuroo helped her to her feet. His breath caught in his throat. 

_         Not all of us will make it to the outer dome.  _

* * *

        If Hell was a place, surely it would have been that where the group ran.

        Strangers who barely knew one another. Having to rely on one another to survive. Not one of them out of their teenage years yet. 

        Bombs were dropped all around them, and the enemy was bright on their tail. Between being knocked about, the few amount of guns that had been brought were passed out. 

        Kiyoko, Daichi, Kuroo, Kenma, Yachi, Hinata, Tanaka, Yaku. The only ones with guns. 

        The only ones who could defend the rest from a distance. 

        And they were headed to a place that was heavily guarded. Twenty soldiers around one gate. One opening. One chance to leave. 

        The edge of the mountain was not a pleasant place. The mud had yet to dry and watching your step wasn’t an option when you had to watch your opponent. 

        The group made it to the end of the mountain, with the guards of the gate ready for them. They’d been alerted. There was no going back now. 

        Daichi and Kiyoko jumped into battle, their guns blazing and shooting violet lasers. They were going to go back home, no matter what it took. 

        Yachi shared a nod with Kenma before jumping they both jumped into the scene, their lasers shining red. They had nothing left to lose except their lives, and the lives of those they fought for. Back to back, they held off those who charged at them.

        Half of their enemy stood in rows of straight lines, almost as if just waiting to die. But their laser shot green. 

        Some even shot physical bullets. Those were the ones who charged the group. 

        Hinata hesitated by Suga’s side, but one look at Suga had her dashing away into the battle with her expression set. She wasn’t going to go down without a fight. She was going to find the Daughters of Eden and get her brother back. 

        Kuroo gave Yaku a smirk and jumped into the fray. She couldn’t lose much else either, and boy, what an adventure it’d be to die. 

        Yaku narrowed her eyebrows at the cocky bastard and cocked her gun, ready to fight to get out of it alive. Before she could get far, Lev grabbed her shoulder. Yaku looked back, Lev looking at her pleadingly. Lev had been dragged into the mess involuntarily. Yaku had jumped in like an idiot. But Lev- Lev didn’t deserve to be there. 

        “Don’t, please,” Lev begged. 

        Yaku pulled Lev down to her level by the front of her blouse and pressed their lips together quickly. “I’m not going to die that easily.”

        She turned away and joined the battle as well. After all, she had a lover to protect. 

        Noya gritted her teeth and glared at the battle and the ones rushing those without guns. But they weren’t weaponless. Not exactly. Noya pulled her favored whip off her hip and snapped it on the ground. 

        Lightning like sparks emanated off it and her chargers froze for a moment. 

        “We will not die like  _ cowards _ !” she shouted. “We will not go down without a fight! Pick up what the forest has given you and  _ fight _ ! Fight because if you don’t, you will die!”

        Noya cracked the whip again and advanced. Her body seemed to crackle with electricity. She should have felt fear, looking into the eyes of so many who wanted her  _ dead _ . But all she felt was pure, unadulterated  _ anger _ .

        “No one, ever again. You will  _ pay  _ for what you did to Asahi.”

        The others heeded Noya’s words and picked up whatever they could. Suga had managed to pick up a sturdy, wooden stick and join Hinata while she fended off three guards. 

        Suga spun the stick and thrusted outwards. The woman in the white suit tossed her gun to the side and pulled a long, metal rod from her back. She flicked her wrist and it began to cackle with blue energy. 

        Suga tensed. But she had to react moments later when the woman lunged. Suga blocked the best she could with her stick. 

        She tossed the woman off, but it was she who ended up stumbling back. 

        The woman swung her rod at Suga, and Suga barely dodged. 

        Parrying each of the woman’s attacks, Suga did her best to keep alive and keep Hinata’s back watched. 

        But as the fight went on, Suga knew only one thing for certain. 

        There was  _ no  _ way she’d be able to win.

        A screech caused Suga’s focus to break and she turned to look behind her in alarm. However, it gave the woman an opportunity. 

        She knocked Suga’s stick away. Then she thrusted forward, hitting Suga’s arm. Suga screamed out in pain as it burned, stumbling away. 

        But the woman was relentless. 

        A hit to the shoulder. To the cheek. To the chest. The side. 

        All of them excruciating pain, but none of them lethal. Unless, of course, Suga died from the pain. 

_         She’s toying with me. She knows I can’t win and she’s toying with me.  _

        “Koushi, get down!” 

        At the sudden call, Koushi ducked her head and covered her arms instinctively. When she looked up, Hinata stood over her, looking horrified. 

        Her gun was still smoking. The woman who Suga had been fighting had a hole going right through her head. 

        Hinata’s hands shook and she dropped her gun. 

        “Oh my god. What have I done?” she whimpered, her hands going to her face. “Oh my god, oh my god.”

        Suga jumped to her feet, running to Hinata’s side. She picked up the fallen rod on the way. “You saved me,” Suga said, taking Hinata’s hand and gripping it tightly. Hinata winced from the pressure. “You  _ saved  _ me. I’d be the one dead right now if you hadn’t done what you did. Don’t  _ ever  _ think differently.”

        Suga picked picked up the gun and pressed it into Hinata’s hands grimly. “Hopefully, you’ll never have to use one again,” she whispered, before leading Hinata and charging back into battle. 

        Lev had picked up a gun from a fallen guard and used that as she fought back to back with Yaku. A few feet away, Yamaguchi had torn of the bottom of her dress, leaving only tatters around her knees, and was using the torn off piece as a whip. Kuroo was at her side, doing her best with the gun and smirking fearlessly.

        A bullet skimmed Yamaguchi’s side and she let out a scream. Then she jumped nibley towards the shooter, her hands twisted in the ends of the cloth. 

        The red cloth was wrapped around his neck and Yamaguchi pulled, making a noose. The gun was kicked away and he struggled to get the cloth off even as he turned purple. 

        Yamaguchi kicked off him and jumped away, pulling tight on the cloth and snapping his neck in the process. 

        Kei and Ryuu had managed to both procure rods from dead officials and battled side by side. A slow movement on Ryuu’s part had her opponent’s rod connecting with part of her hair. The hair on the right side of her head sizzled and burned black as it fell to the ground. 

        The official was dead in a moment from Kei’s stab.

        The battlefield was a flurry of rainbow colored lasers and electrcity and untrained movements and death and pain. But finally,  _ finally _ , Daichi and Kiyoko made a path to the gate and Kiyoko shot the lock, melting it right off the gate. 

        “Everyone, this way!” Daichi shouted and the others abandoned their battles to heed the call. 

        Bloodied. Bruised. Haggard and exhausted and covered in mud. Many of the enemy laid dead on the ground, their blood soaking the dirt. But at least they were  _ alive _ .

        They all ran as fast as they could through the gate and out of the dome. 

        But the battle was not yet over. 

        One last shot rang out.

        A scream cut through the air as the remaining few charged the group. Yaku turned, her eyes wide and already turning red. 

        Lev fell to her knees, gripping at her side. Blood soaked her hands and still continued to gush out. Yaku ran to her side, pressing her own hands on Lev’s wound. The sounds of the others bringing down the last of their pusers was distant in her ears.

        Angry tears fell down her cheeks in waterfalls. “You’re going to be okay,” she claimed. “We’re- We’re gonna get you help and you’re gonna be okay.” Yaku looked up as the world around her grew silent. “Somebody! Help her!”

        “Yaku-”

        “ _ Help her _ !” Yaku demanded. 

        “Yaku.” Lev placed a weak hand on Yaku’s cheek and turned the smaller girl toward her, the hot, sticky substance leaving marks on Yaku’s cheek. Tears glistened in her own eyes as well, but she smiled weakly. “Yaku, I’m already-”

        “Don’t talk like that!” Yaku screeched. She turned back to the others, none of whom moved. “Do something! Why aren’t any of you  _ doing anything _ ?!”

        “It’s too late for me, Yaku.”

        “No, no, no it’s not,” Yaku claimed. “You’re gonna be fine. It’s gonna be fine.” Tears fell and splattered on the ground. “You never should have come,” she whimpered. 

        Lev pulled Yaku closer and pressed their lips together. Her lips were already growing so, so cold- “Didn’t I tell you? I’d follow you anywhere.”

        Lev closed her eyes and slumped against Yaku. Yaku wrapped her arms around Lev and sobbed into her shoulder, uncaring for the blood she’d be covered in. Uncaring for her tears being seen. 

        Uncaring of… everything. 

        Lev was just… gone. 

        Hinata unconsciously stepped closer to Suga. Suga wrapped an arm around her shoulders, the other one went around Noya. Noya’s eyes burned, but she didn’t cry. Kenma took Yachi’s hand, and then took Kuroo’s. Kei and Ryuu looked on with almost blank, broken expressions. 

        Ryuu turned to Kei, a hand going to her missing hair. “They weren’t the ones,” she whimpered. “All of this- for what? Why are we here?”

        Kei looked on as Yamaguchi inched closer. “Because we have nothing else and this shit isn’t the end yet. I thought you never gave up hope, idiot.”

        Daichi knelt by Yaku and touched her shoulder. “We need to go before more come,” she whispered. Yaku shook her head defiantly. 

        “The Den isn’t far,” Kiyoko said. “We can take her. Give her a proper funeral.”

        Only then did Yaku move away from Lev. After a moment of hesitation and a nod from Yaku, Kiyoko knelt and picked up Lev’s body easily.

        “It’s time to go to the Daughter’s Den.”

* * *

        Not a word was spoken as they made their way across the dusty landscape.

        Things on the outside of the dome were different. No natural hum to fill the quiet. No violet moon. It was… colder.

        Or maybe that was just their hearts.

        The Daughters’ Den was a large fortress surrounded by a large stone gate several meters high. The front entrance held a lock that could only be unlocked by one of the Daughters.

        Daichi pulled a key card out of her back pocket and slid it through the lock. It clicked and gave a long groan as the gate opened. 

        Children laughed and played with each other while couples, young and old, walked arm in arm. They all stopped when Daichi’s group entered. 

        It turned quiet as they passed. Only slight murmurs were spoken. 

        Everything was grey. Cold. Frozen.

_         It should be warmer. _

        The biggest building was straight in front of them, and there was where Daichi led the group. It looked like an old stone castle. She pushed in the large wooden door. 

_         People should be smiling. Cheering. _

        Yaku walked like a machine, her face steeled and frozen. She followed behind Kiyoko, only able to move because of Kuroo’s hand on her back.

_         We’re free now, aren’t we? _

        Hinata gripped at her chest and sniffed, her heart clenching. She’d  _ killed _ . And not even just one person; there’d been several.

_         But at what price did that freedom cost? _

        Yachi’s hands wouldn’t stop shaking, his wounds barely having stopped bleeding. His once bright eyes were blank and numb. Kenma looked away from him and down to the ground. She wished her usually numbness would take over.

_         Where’s the sun? _

        There was a large table set in the middle of the room Daichi led them to. About a dozen people were gathered around it, looking at plans and talking animatedly. 

_         Where’s the light? _

        Yamaguchi grabbed Kei’s hand. Kei sent her a slight glare but didn’t shake her off. It wasn’t worth it after the battle they’d gone through. Bright, angry marks that would surely leave scars were wrapped around Yamaguchi’s bare arms. 

_         What was the point? _

        A woman with short, spiky blonde hair spotted Daichi and made her way over. 

        “Daichi, you’re finally back,” she said. “I see it went well…? How did you manage to gather such a large group and get them all out alive?”

        Daichi gave her a look. “Ukai…” she said. 

        Kiyoko made his way to the front of the group, Lev’s body cold and pale and frighteningly bloody in his arms. 

        “Not all of them made it.”

        Ukai looked from Daichi to those gathered. She looked at Kei and Ryuu and recognition caught in her eyes. She looked at Suga and Hinata, and a pang shook her heart. She spotted Yachi holding his arms around himself, almost as if he wanted to hide in himself or be sick and something flickered in her mind. 

        Ukai shook her head and cleared her throat. “I understand that you’ve been dealt a terrible tragedy,” she said, her voice raising to a level so all could hear her. “But you are safe now. You will be safe here. Please, join us for a meal.” She gave off a weak, pained smile that fooled no one. “Welcome to the Daughters of Eden.”

 

_ The world did not end with a light, or a flash, or a war. It did not end in a great call or in sudden darkness. It ended. One scream at a time. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And so ends Arc 1. If you've any questions, feel free to ask!

**Author's Note:**

> I'll be updating the characters, tags, and ships as I go along. Comment what ships you'd like to see!


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